Dona Nobis Pacem
by SoBadAtBeingGood
Summary: The Fire Nation Royal Family is hated around the world. Princess Izumi knows this. But will she be able to handle the pressures and dangers of her position, especially when so many want to attack her father through her.
1. Prologue

**Hello old and new readers!  
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**The lack of Zuko/Izumi interactions in Korra bugged me. So I've been working on this new story. It's a departure from my previous multi-chapter stories. This isn't a romance. It's a deeper look at the relationship between a girl and her father. ****I'm curious to see what interest there is for such a story.**

**Enjoy the prologue!**

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><p>The Royal Academy was a school now integrated for both boys and girls. As expected, it had always been the most prestigious school in the Fire Nation for young children. After the end of the Hundred Year War, it had been the first school to completely change their curriculum, with guidance from Fire Lord Zuko, Sokka, and historians from the Northern Water Tribe and Omashu. They not only changed their teachings of history, but have started to slowly amend the style of firebending that was being taught. Now the Academy held the precedent of Fire Nation education.<p>

Fourteen years after the war, there were children of various ages running around in the playground in the back of the academy. Most of them were playing a rather large game of hide and explode. A few others were sitting off to the side, drawing and colouring on their personal scrolls. And then there was eight year old Izumi, Crowned Princess of the Fire Nation, sitting in the corner behind a low-hanging jacaranda tree, reading a scroll from the Yangchen Era of Fire Nation history.

This wasn't particularly unusual. Izumi preferred to sit quietly and read. Especially since many of the other kids didn't seem to like playing with her. Some of them were intimidated by her status. Others simply came from families that weren't completely supportive of her father. Even at the age of eight, Izumi knew that both her father and herself were in complicated positions. So while Izumi genuinely enjoyed quiet reading, it had the added benefit of keeping her out of trouble with the others.

Though it wasn't always successful.

"Princess Izumi."

Senbi appeared from the other side of the red jacaranda blossoms; the son of a son of a nobleman who had been a staunch supporter of Fire Lord Ozai. At the end of the war, the nobleman disappeared along with several other Ozai loyals. Senbi's father, Keichi, was the current head of the house. "Whatcha doing?" Senbi asked.

Izumi looked intently at her scroll, hoping he would go away. "Reading."

Her hopes were dashed when Senbi yanked the scroll from her hands, looking at the content with disdain. "Why are you reading about this _old_ stuff?"

"It's interesting…" Izumi said quietly. She tried to grab it back, but Senbi was larger than her and easily able to keep it away. "Give it back!"

Senbi smiled smugly as he held the scroll in the air above Izumi's head. "My dad says that nothing that happened before Sozin really matters." He dropped the scroll, the paper unrolling as it hit her head.

Izumi knelt down and tried to roll the scroll back up before Senbi stepped on it, or something equally mean. "That's because your dad's brainwashed," she mumbled under her breath.

Senbi had been walking away when he whipped around, his eyes narrowed. Apparently his hearing was better than she thought. "What did you say?" he asked, his face reddening.

Hands shaking slightly, she held the newly wrapped scroll to her chest. She stood and tried her best to avoid being confrontational. "I-It's not his fault… Father says almost everyone his age was brainwashed."

Senbi sneered, though it wasn't that threatening on a nine year old. Izumi had to resist the urge to giggle. "Well I guess that's why the daughter of such a high standing noble would stoop to be with _your_ dad."

At the mention of her mother, Izumi felt a little uncomfortable. Mai had died during childbirth, so Izumi didn't know anything about her. Her father rarely mentioned her, and Grandfather Iroh never said much beyond comparing her to embers or something equally as confusing. Even so, she was pretty sure Senbi was insulting her mother's memory, which just didn't sit right with her. "Masaru's not a high standing noble," she pointed out quietly. "He started the New Ozai Society, and has been denounced as an enemy of the state." She turned around and started to walk away. "Please leave me alone. I just want to read."

"Just because your dad says they're traitors doesn't mean they are. _My_ dad says the Fire Lord is a fool and ruining our country."

Izumi stiffened, gripping the scroll even tighter. "Don't talk about my father," she warned.

"Why? Are you too stupid to see that your dad is weak? That he's a traitor - "

Izumi swung her arm around and bashed her scroll into Senbi's head. He seemed momentarily dazed, but quickly recovered, jumping at her with a scream. Izumi ducked and rammed into his stomach and knocking him to the ground. He thrust his hand up and hit her square in the jaw. Her chest burning deeply, she shook the pain off and swatted his arm aside, hitting him again and again and again…

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><p>Izumi stared hard at the ground, her legs swinging back and forth under her chair. Her chin was swollen and hurt whenever she touched it. She still couldn't seem to stop poking it, sharp pain shooting across her jaw with every prod.<p>

Just outside the room, she could hear murmurs. No doubt Kanan had come pick her up, and her teacher was explaining what had happened. Kanan was a member of palace guard who was responsible for escorting Izumi to and from school every day. He was also responsible for delivering messages between her school and her father.

The voice got louder and the door was opened. "Izumi?"

Izumi's head shot up. That wasn't her teacher's voice. Or her Kanan's.

"Fire Lord Zuko, I really do think it's better if your daughter stayed home a few days to think about her actions."

The Fire Lord turned back to the teacher with a smile. "Thank you. I agree that that would probably be best." He looked back at Izumi, who looked down and away. She couldn't stand to see her father look at her like… well, like _that_. "Could you give me a moment with my daughter?

Her teacher respectfully bowed and left, closing the door behind her. Zuko grabbed a chair and pulled it over. His pace seemed slower than it actually was. Izumi could almost taste her father's disappointment in every step. She just wanted to be back in the palace, this conversation already over and done with.

Zuko sat across from his daughter, their knees barely two inches away from each other. "Izumi."

She heard the silent command. She didn't want to comply but knew there was no point in waiting. Gripping the fabric of her pants, she hesitantly looked up and met her father's face. He looked very serious, but didn't seem mad. In fact, his eyes softened in concern as he leaned forward and lightly touched her bruised chin. "How does it feel?"

"It's nothing," she said. "You should see Senbi."

"Izumi…" Zuko chided. He brought his hand back, still watching her with a serious expression. She felt like he was burning a hole through her. "What happened?"

"Sifu… Sifu didn't tell you?"

"She did. But I want to hear it from you. It's so unlike you, Izumi. You're hardly ever violent. You may get into fights sometimes, but what your Sifu described doesn't sound like you at all."

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Just tell me what happened."

Izumi looked back down at her knees. She wanted to resume her leg-swinging, but she would end up kicking her father if she did. She settled by jigging her leg up and down. "I didn't want to fight," she said. "I tried to walk away. I really did! Senbi just…" The fabric in her hands protested under the strain of her hold. "He called you a traitor."

"Ah, I see." Zuko gently gripped Izumi's hands, rubbing them to get them to release their death grip. "Sweetheart, you know that a _lot_ of people in the Fire Nation think I'm a traitor."

"I know but… but it's not fair! You're _not_ a traitor!"

"No, but life isn't fair, Izumi. It's not fair that most of the world hates me for one reason or another. It's not fair that the hatred pours over to you." He brushed a hand over her hair, smiling sadly. "But this is the world we live in. And many people are completely justified for their hatred of the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, it will probably be another few _decades_ before the world starts to leave the Hundred Year War behind. My only hope is that the world won't hate _you_ by the time you have to take the throne."

Izumi shook her head. "You're not a bad person. You're a really _good_ person. A great person! Why can't people see that!?"

Zuko smiled. "I'm glad you think so. But the world is very angry at our family for starting the war, and many in the Fire Nation are angry at me for ending it."

Izumi frowned. "I don't understand…"

"I know. It's complicated. You'll understand when you're older. In the meantime, you can't physically fight every person who insults us. It would never end. You need to learn to ignore them."

She sighed. "I tried ignoring him… I _did_ ignore him, even when he insulted Mom." Zuko stiffened, and Izumi regretted mentioning it. "It was just when Senbi called you a traitor... I got so angry, I _had_ to hit him!"

Zuko smirked before quickly covering it up, taking a deep breath. "I understand. Really, I do. There have been plenty of times I've wanted to take a swing at some of the more conservative nobles. But you're going to need to learn to let that anger go, like I have. Hurting these people isn't going to make them _like_ our family, is it?"

Izumi deflated. "I guess not."

Placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder, Zuko leaned in until their foreheads were touching. "You're a smart girl. Smarter than most kids your age. It won't be easy, but you'll learn to hear their insults and brush them off with your head held high."

Her father attempted to wrap his arms around her, and Izumi took it as an invitation. So she crawled onto his lap and curled into his chest. "I'm trying…" she said disheartened.

Zuko held her close. "You're doing well. _I_ certainly wasn't as level headed as you are when I was your age. I was always losing my temper and getting into trouble."

Izumi sat up to look at her father. "Really?"

"Really. You have no idea what an incredible child you are." He gave her another squeeze before gently taking her off his lap and standing. "Let's go back home."

Izumi grasped her father's hand. "I really am sorry for fighting."

Zuko smiled. "Apology accepted."

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><p><strong>So what do you all think? Want me to continue?<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey all!**

**So, with overwhelming support, I will be continuing my story :) I hope I can meet everyone's expectations.**

**I would like to preface this chapter and say that I know nothing of martial arts, so I might accidentally be using some terminology wrong. Sorry :/**

**Enjoy Chapter 1!**

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><p><strong>Seven Years Later<strong>

"Princess Izumi? It's your turn."

Right. It was her turn to once again make a fool of herself in front of her firebending instructors. Such fun.

Unable to shake off the jittering in her limbs, Izumi stood and entered the small arena. As per usual, the Academy's three top instructors were there, sitting at a table with their brushes and scrolls ready to judge her. Sometimes she wondered if they enjoyed watching the Crown Princess fall miserably behind her peers.

"You are being re-evaluated on Luohan Quan?"

"Yes," she replied, remaining outwardly calm despite the pit in her stomach. This was a set that most firebending children mastered at around fourteen. The members of the Royal Family generally mastered it around ten. And here she was at fifteen, hoping she wouldn't fail for a second time.

"Proceed when ready."

Last month during her evaluation, she fell in the middle of her routine. While this wasn't her best presentation, she didn't misstep or fall over this time. She firebended when she was supposed to, and while it wasn't a fantastic display, she did everything correctly. She only hoped that it would be enough.

Once she was done, she bowed respectfully and waited for their decision. Either they would give her approval to go on to the next level, or have her practice Luohan Quan for another month. Her instructors were whispering among themselves, and while most people wouldn't be able to discern what was being said, Izumi could hear every word.

"She did everything correctly..."

"But shouldn't we expect mastery? If her basics aren't solid, it will only cause more problems later."

"I think she's learned everything she needs to learn to move on. She can still work on refining this form while she learns new ones."

"Yes, but you'd think we could expect _more_ from our Crown Princess."

Izumi took a deep breath and began to hum quietly, forcing herself to ignore them as they deliberated. It was rude for her to be eavesdropping anyway. She wasn't _meant_ to hear any of this. Though that didn't soften the sting of their words.

"Princess Izumi."

Izumi stopped humming and acknowledged them with a slight bow of the head. "Yes?"

"After some deliberation, we have decided that you should move on to the advanced set."

Izumi's shoulders relaxed. "Thank you," she said with a relieved smile.

"However, we would like to add that there is more for you to gain from continuing to practice Luohan Quan, even as you learn new forms."

"Of course," Izumi said. She bowed deeply. "Thank you again."

She knew she was cutting them off, but she needed to get out of that room. She practically ran outside, releasing her breath with a violent sigh. While she was grateful that it was over, she still felt the lingering threads of anxiety gripping her. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, she headed back to the changing room. But just before she got there, she was stopped by her primary instructor, Sifu Enzi.

He bowed respectively. "May I speak with you, Your Highness?"

Izumi felt her shoulders stiffen, but she nodded. "Of course."

"I'm… concerned about your training. You've always been a relatively non-violent child, but you've been steadily falling behind your peers for a few years now."

She nodded tersely. "I'm aware."

Enzi shook his head. "I just don't understand _why_. You're an excellent student; one of our finest in every subject. I just don't understand how you still struggle to master these forms."

"I practice every day for two hours," Izumi said quietly, staring intently at Sifu Enzi's feet. "Sometimes even more. I don't know what more I can do to learn faster."

"I know you're _trying_ very hard. But it's just not enough. I hadn't told Fire Lord Zuko yet because I had hoped you were just a late bloomer and would eventually catch up. However… if the nation's heir is struggling to master the basics, the Fire Lord needs to know."

Izumi closed her eyes. She had been maintaining a vain hope that her instructors would never feel a need to involve her father. Her father was so busy, the last thing he needed was to worry over the fact that his daughter was a poor bender. With a soft sigh, she looked back up at Sifu Enzi. "I agree. You needn't bother. I will inform him myself. I promise I will not make light of my… deficient firebending progress."

"I trust you, Princess. You've never been one to lie or manipulate." He smiled sympathetically. "You're a good hearted girl and an excellent student. I'm just sorry your bending is so lacking." He gave a quick bow. "I will see you tomorrow morning. Let me know what decisions the Fire Lord makes."

Izumi watched his back as he walked away, a soft roaring growing in her ears. She _knew_ this day was coming. She _knew_ she couldn't hide this from her father forever. Frankly, it was a miracle Sifu Enzi hadn't told him sooner. She had just hoped there would have never been a _need_ to.

Her friends wanted to go out and celebrate; she had been approved for the advanced sets and they (while being non-benders) had all been approved for the mastery level of their martial arts. However, Izumi was in no mood for celebration. She found Kanan waiting for her in his usual spot near the entrance of the Academy. "We're going back to the palace," she said.

They began to walk back via their usual route, through the early evening crowds of Capital City's citizens. Kanan was dressed casually and Izumi never dressed extravagantly, so they walked unnoticed through the throngs of people.

Izumi could see Kanan glancing at her every few minutes. Having been her personal guard for most of her life, he knew her better than most. Izumi knew that he could tell she was upset. He didn't want to bring it up because it might make her more irritable. It was… annoying to say the least. She was only able to take about ten minutes of it before she rolled her eyes. "Stop doing that. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're tenser than normal. You're also glaring."

"I do not _glare_."

"Oh yes you do. You may not have the Fire Lord's temper, but you definitely inherited that glare."

Izumi sighed. "It's nothing. I just need to… talk to Father about something. Something I should have told him a while ago."

"And that something is…?"

"That my bending isn't where it should be for a fifteen year old member of the Royal Family."

Kanan frowned. "You mean… that your firebending isn't that good?"

"That's a bit of an understatement."

"I see..." Kanan looked confused. "Why does it matter?"

Izumi stopped, staring at her guard incredulously. He must be joking. "What do you mean '_why does it matter_'? I'm the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. I should have almost completely mastered firebending by now. That is, if I was going to be a satisfactory Fire Lord after my father. But no, I'm a year _behind_ my average peer. How would _you_ feel if you had to tell your father your inadequacies?"

"Does the Fire Lord _expect_ you to be a master firebender by now?"

Izumi frowned. "I… I don't know, actually. My father doesn't actually talk about bending much. He prefers to talk about my other studies, to hear about what I'm learning. Partially - I think - to make sure the Academy isn't teaching false information."

"Then why would you be upset? It doesn't sound like the Fire Lord will be angry with you."

"Not _angry_. Just... disappointed. What kind of future Fire Lord struggles with firebending?"

They continued walking in silence until Kanan shook his head and stopped again. "Princess… You are aware of my background, right?"

Blinking at the change in subject, she nodded. "You were born in the colonies. Your mother is a Fire Nation citizen and your father was an Earth Kingdom one. Your father was killed during the war, and you and your mother moved to the Capital during the Harmony Restoration Movement."

"And I'm an earthbender."

"Yes…"

"Your Highness, how many ethnic Earth Kingdom people - how many _earthbenders_ - are employed at the palace?"

"I don't know... Not many. Thirty or so? I think only three or four are earthbenders besides yourself."

"And isn't that remarkable?"

Izumi frowned. "I don't see what you mean."

"It's only been twenty years since the end of the war. Do you have any idea how _extraordinary_ it is that the Royal Palace employs those who were so recently the enemy?"

"They weren't the enemy. They were Fire Nation citizens by birth, even during the war."

Kanan sighed. "You are not nearly as… racist as most others are. You're probably too young to remember this: but not long after the Harmony Restoration Movement, the Fire Lord purposefully hired as many ethnic Earth Kingdom people as he could, including myself. There was a lot of outrage from many Fire Nation citizens. They believed that he was giving coveted jobs to inferior people. But Fire Lord Zuko insisted upon it. He believed that having an integrated staff would help both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom overcome their prejudices. It _has_ succeeded... in small ways. The number of outcries for our deportation have decreased, and the Earth Kingdom is slowly starting to believe that the Fire Nation _can_ change. But as small as these victories are, it's remarkable that they've happened so soon after such a horrific war. And _your father_ made it happen. Did he need firebending to do any of that?"

"I suppose not. But - "

"Princess…" Kanan stood in front of her, bowing so they were eye level. "Please don't talk down about yourself. You are incredibly intelligent and you care about your people; _that's_ what's important. You don't need to be a master firebender to be a good Fire Lord. Your father proved that."

Izumi wanted to protest, to say that her father _is_ a master firebender and that the Fire Lord has other responsibilities that _do_ require bending. But one look at Kanan's plantative expression, and Izumi reluctantly nodded. "Okay."

Kanan smiled and stood back straight. "Good."

The rest of their journey back to the palace was in silence save for the din of the city. While Izumi still had doubts about talking to her father about her bending, she had to admit that she did feel a little better.

When they got back, Kanan went to check in with the Head of the Guard, and Izumi went to her room to wash up and change her clothes before dinner. For the last few months, she had been eating more and more dinners on her own. They were coming up on the twentieth anniversary of when Fire Lord Zuko had declared the Hundred Year War over. Her father was working closely with King Kuei and Avatar Aang to bring a close to negotiations in regards to the structure and territory of the new United Republic of Nations. Their hope was to conclude negotiations and sign the new country into being on the anniversary.

For the first time since these negotiations became serious, Izumi hoped her father would be too busy to attend dinner.

After her bath, Izumi dressed herself in casual evening gown, a plain red dress that fell loosely over her. It was trimmed in a black and golden design that depicted angular-styled dragons. Her maid, Jaya, helped put up her hair so that the water wouldn't run down her back. After her hair was secured up in a neat braid, Izumi stood and smiled. "Thank you, Jaya."

Jaya smiled and bowed. "You're most welcome, Your Highness."

Her father disliked over-the-top pomp and circumstance, so when they weren't having any official functions, they would eat in a small dining room that was close to their rooms. As she dragged her feet there, Izumi was imagining the conversation with her father, going over the various possibilities for _how_ she could to tell him and what his possible reactions were going to be. Even knowing that he wouldn't be angry with her, she knew that her lack of progress was going to be still going to be a disappointment. Or at least make him realize that she wasn't the perfect heir he thought she was.

A low rumble could be heard from the dining room as she approached, which made her smile. When she walked in, she found the large red lizard curled around the table as expected. "Hey there, Druk..." When she knelt down and offered her hand, he raised his head and rubbed against it, another rumble vibrating from his chest. Izumi scratched the thinner scales under his mane. "You're getting big… you must be nearly twenty feet long now. Hard to imagine you used to easily drape over my shoulders. Though I guess you're still small by dragon standards. Dad says Ran and Shaw were nearly two _hundred_ feet long."

Druk raised his head a bit further so he was at level with Izumi's head. He touched his muzzle to her neck, making her smile wider. "If you're here, I suppose that means Father isn't far behind." She rubbed up and down his neck with a sigh. "Just my luck. Though this means I can't agonize over it longer…"

On cue, the sound of voices could be heard from the far end of the hallway. One didn't have to listen too carefully to hear the worried voices of the Fire Lord's advisers and the terse voice of the Fire Lord himself.

"My Lord, we still need to go over the southern border! If we split the mountain range - !"

"It can wait until later."

"But you also need to go over the finalists for the ethnic Fire Nation representative! Not to mention prepare a speech for the Earth King's arrival."

The Fire Lord spun around as he entered the dining room, blocking his advisers. "The Earth King and the Avatar's family aren't arriving for another week. I can spare an _hour_ to eat dinner with my daughter."

"But - !"

Zuko slammed the door shut, turning back around and leaning against it with a frustrated sigh.

"Rough day?" Izumi asked bemused.

Zuko glared at her. "To say the least." He stood and walked up to the table, hands gripping the top of the chair. "One more month… this will all be over in one more month."

They sat and the palace chef brought in their dinner and wheeled in Druk's pallet of fresh meat. Izumi leaned back and watched Druk dig into his meal. "Druk's not going to be able to stay in the palace much longer. At least, not the inner rooms."

Zuko raised an eyebrow as he chewed on his food. "What do you mean?"

"Father, haven't you noticed how _big_ he's gotten? If we're not careful, the only way we're going to be able to get Druk out is by knocking the walls down."

Zuko looked at Druk's body as it curled around the table. "You may have a point."

"_May_? I'm almost positive Druk's growth is accelerating. I mean, it makes sense. He's nearly five years old now, which corresponds to the middle stage of dragon childhood. Part of that is going to include increased growth."

Knowing he was being talked about, Druk looked up at Zuko, licking the blood from his jaws. Zuko scratched his snout. "Maybe you _should_ stop going into rooms with small entrances from now on, 'kay?"

Druk acknowledged him with a soft nudge before resuming his meal.

Zuko turned back to Izumi. "So how was your day? Hopefully better than mine."

Her stomach twisted as she stabbed at her dinner. "Better than your day, certainly…"

His chewing slowed. "Is there a 'but' coming?"

Izumi's leg started to jump up and down restlessly. _Now or never._ "I have never lied to you, Father. However, I have not always been forthcoming about my progress in school."

Zuko chuckled lightly. "Don't tell me that you've been doing poorly in your classes. You're too excited and obsessive about your studies; I just wouldn't believe you."

"I'm doing fine in my classes. It's… my bending that's poor."

The humour left her father's face, falling carefully neutral. "What do you mean?"

As expected, there was no sign of anger, though Izumi didn't see any disappoint either. Not yet. "At the Academy, we are evaluated once a month to check the progress on our bending or chosen martial art. It's not meant as an assessment, though these are the only times we can gain approval to move on to the next set or level. Today, we had our monthly evaluation..."

"How did you do?"

He didn't sound judgmental or like he was anticipating the worst. Just genuinely curious. With a deep breath, she said, "I... just got approval to move on to the advanced set."

Zuko looked a little confused. "That's great, Izumi!"

"What do you mean '_that's great_'? I'm fifteen! I should have gotten to the advanced set years ago."

Her father waved his hand dismissively. "Forget about where you _should_ be. Requiring children to meet certain bending benchmarks is an idea from the war that needs to be shaken off."

"Then… you don't care that I'm so behind?"

"Izumi, I know you haven't been slacking off. I know you practice every day. Now, if you had been _avoiding_ practicing, that would be different. But as long as you're trying your hardest and are making progress…"

"Really _slow_ progress."

Zuko considered at his daughter for a moment. He looked a little sad, which was the last emotion Izumi had expected from her father. Finally, he sighed. "Izumi… You know that _I_ was always behind in bending while I was growing up."

Izumi frowned. "I know that you were always behind your sister, but that was because she was a prodigy."

Zuko shook his head. "Even compared to other children my age, I was always behind."

"But you trained Aang; an _Avatar_."

"Well, I got better. And I wasn't a master at that point. I probably didn't truly master firebending until a year or two after the war." Zuko took another bite of food. "I was a… prodigy at swordsmanship as a child, but not bending. Ozai always took every opportunity to remind me what a failure I was."

"Yes, but Ozai is a dishonorable tyrant."

Zuko smirked. "Yes he is. Which is my point. The idea that children need to have a soldier's ability to bend is a notion best left for tyrants."

Izumi looked down at her plate, slowly poking and nibbling on her food. After a minute, she put her chopsticks down. "So… you don't care that I'm so behind?"

Finished with his meal, Zuko picked up his cup of tea. "As long you're giving it honest effort and you're happy, then I'm happy." He took a sip of his tea only to cringe at the taste and put it back down. "Are _you_ happy?"

Izumi shrugged. "Depends what you mean by '_happy'_."

"Are you happy with your firebending progress?"

She shook her head. "No… not at all. I want to be better."

Zuko nodded slowly. "I see."

"Actually…" Izumi said thoughtfully, "... once you've finished finalizing and establishing the United Republic, do you think _you_ could help me out with my bending?"

He looked surprised, but smiled. "After things calm down, I can try to help. I'm surprised you'd _want_ me to teach you."

"I mean, you taught the Avatar. Why _wouldn't_ I?"

"I just thought kids your age hated having their parents helping them with anything. When I was your age, I definitely had a tendency to... _resist_ most advice Uncle gave me."

"Well… I imagine most parents spend a lot more time with their children. When kids reach adolescence, they feel their parents are being overbearing. You're busier than the average parent, so I haven't experienced those feelings."

"Mmm..." Zuko tapped the edge of his plate, looking a little upset. "I _wish_ I could spend more time with you. It's rare if I ever see you outside of dinner. And it's only gotten worse in the last few months."

"It's fine, Father," Izumi assured. "You're the Fire Lord. You have the whole nation to take care of."

"Still, I do actually _enjoy_ spending time with my daughter." He sighed. "I promise, we'll definitely figure out time to train after all this United Republic stuff is behind us."

Izumi smiled, eager at the prospect. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Good. Hopefully, we'll also be able to spend a little more time together starting next week. With Kuei, Aang and Katara, and their children coming, there are going to be more public functions."

"Those don't really count," Izumi said. "You're technically working at those."

"That's true. Though Uncle will probably insist on also having some family time…"

Izumi sat up. "Grandfather is coming?" she asked excitedly.

"He's coming in with Aang's family. I'm pretty sure Aang and Katara are using him as a babysitter in exchange for a ride."

"I'm sure Grandfather doesn't mind. He loves children. But I can't wait! It's been over a year since we've seen him last!"

"He's been wanting to come out, but the tea shop has been taking all of his free time. I think he _finally_ hired some managers to help him out, and decided to take this opportunity to come out and visit us for a change."

"Grandfather's getting really old now… I'm glad he's getting help, especially since his shop seems to only increase in popularity. He really should enjoy retirement more."

"This _is_ Uncle enjoying retirement. In his last letter, he said his bubble tea was finally taking off. I don't think he's been this excited since you were born." Zuko grimaced slightly. "Though I have to say, I don't really get what people see in that stuff…"

Izumi shrunk into her chair. "I _like_ his bubble tea…"

Zuko shook his head in amusement. "I just don't get it. It's definitely one of Uncle's weirder ideas. But if it's doing well..." He shrugged.

They talked for a while longer while Izumi ate the rest of her dinner. The bundle of anxiety in her stomach had calmed, though she wasn't any more pleased with where her firebending was. However, if this shortcoming meant some personal training with her father, she supposed that was alright.

Having taken the _'hour'_ comment seriously, Zuko's advisers came back around almost exactly sixty minutes later. He gave Izumi a slight _look_ before reluctantly allowing them to drag him back, Druk following closely behind. Izumi looked outside to see that the sun setting. She needed to practice before attending to her other studies, but she took a few moments to watch the sun fully set, absorbing the last vestiges of Agni's energy for the day.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you all think? Review and let me know. All criticisms welcome.<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey all!**

**I think I've finally got a handle on Izumi's characterization. Let me know if you notice any inconsistencies. Criticisms are always welcome :)**

**Enjoy Chapter 2!**

* * *

><p>When Izumi told Sifu Enzi about her plans to train with her father, he seemed surprised and cautiously supportive. "If the Fire Lord believes that is the best way to compensate for your lack of progress, then of course I approve." There was something in his tone that made Izumi uncomfortable, but she just smiled and bowed in response. If this was enough to get her instructors off her back, then she wasn't going to complain.<p>

She had doubled her efforts during her training in and out of the Academy. Before, she had always been self-conscious practicing in front of other people. (And of course, since she was the princess, she was hardly _ever_ alone.) All she would think about is how pathetic must seem as a member of the Royal Family. But now fueled by excitement, she found she didn't care what others might be thinking. Her father, a master firebender who had once been in her position (though she had trouble imagining that), was going to personally train her. While she _was_ learning her new movesets, she mostly concentrated on what she had already learned, refining them. It may have been what her instructors had advised her to, but her main motivation was to show her father she wasn't quite as terrible as she implied: to exceed his expectations.

She also realized later on that she could ask her grandfather for help once he arrived. He was too old - and too _retired_ - to do any real training, but he could give her suggestions and guidelines. After all, he _was_ the one who taught her father.

It had been three days since the dinner with her father. It was mid-afternoon and she with three of her closest friends, working on their history homework. They were currently studying the battles of the Hundred Year War.

"_In 7 ASC, Fire Lord Sozin besieged the city of Han Tui. Despite being outnumbered ten to one, how did Sozin eventually win the battle?_" Wan frowned. "I don't remember talking about this in class at _all_…"

"We didn't," Izumi said. "It was in our readings."

Reiko sighed. "Of course it was. How does Sifu Ota expect us to do all these massive readings _and_ finish the homework every week?"

"Well, it was actually from last week's readings." Izumi pulled the appropriate scroll from her bag. Rolling it to the correct section, she placed it on the table for the others to see. "Han Tui had been suffering from a drought. The wind was in his favor, so Sozin was able to completely burn Han Tui's outer defenses and take the city."

"Izumi to the rescue," Quan said excitedly, scribbling down from her scroll.

"You guys really should do the readings…" Izumi said. "They only take an hour or two if you just sit down and do them."

"I honestly don't know when you find the time, Izumi," Reiko said. "Between all of our other classes and the extra practice you do, how do you have any free time?"

"I don't know… I never feel like I _don't_ have free time. Maybe it's because if I'm not doing homework, I'm usually reading any historical scroll I can get my hands on. I know that makes me a bit of an oddity..."

"It's that massive brain of yours," Quan said. "You gotta fill it up with _something_. Meanwhile, the rest of us mortals are struggling to just to fit in all the stuff our teachers want us to know."

Izumi shrugged, uncomfortable hearing herself referred to 'not mortal'. "Let's finish this up."

By the time they needed to go to their next class, they had finished all but a couple questions. As they packed, Izumi excused herself. "I need to use the bathroom."

Once she finished her business and was walking back, she saw her friends huddled over the table, whispering to each other. Izumi frowned and was about to call their attention when she overheard them.

"... Princess _Know-It-All_…"

She froze in her spot. They were talking about her behind her back? In a way, she was almost in awe by their gall. After all, she had only gone to the bathroom, which only ever took her a minute or two. However, the sickening feeling in her stomach only grew as they continued to talk to one another, none of them having noticed her.

She knew she shouldn't; she knew she should just confront her friends directly. They probably had an explanation. But she found herself slipping quietly behind the gold and black decorative folding screen, hoping she had just misunderstood.

"... to my father. He _still_ thinks it'll somehow gain political favor with the Fire Lord. I keep trying to explain to him that it's not going to work. The princess is way too… detached to give the Fire Lord recommendations based purely on _friendship_."

"She is rather robotic... Ugh, even if it did benefit my family's political standing, it's not really worth the utter _boredom_."

"_I_ think it's worth it. If anything, she makes homework a lot easier. She may suck at fighting, but she's useful for basically all of our other classes."

"You're just using her…"

"Psh, like what you guys are doing is any better."

"Well at least _we're_ not lazy bums who would have failed out of the Academy if his parents didn't keep throwing money at it."

The conversation was turning and Izumi knew there was no more reason to hide. She had heard all that she had needed to. And yet, she was paralyzed behind the screen, her skin numb and her insides swirling uncomfortably fast.

"Where is she anyway? It's not like her to take so long in the bathroom."

Izumi stood straighter, unnecessarily smoothing out her clothes. With a deep breath, she stepped out from behind the screen with the most genuine smile she could muster. "Sorry it took me so long, guys. I'm, uh…" She placed a hand on her stomach. "... not feeling too great." Which wasn't a lie. She _was_ feeling sick to her stomach.

Reiko frowned. "Are you alright?"

Izumi could hear the concern in her voice, a concern she had heard before. She looked at Reiko, knowing that it was farce. All Reiko was doing was maintaining their faux friendship for her father's sake. "I'm fine," Izumi said with a half smile. "I think I'm just going to go home after class."

Reiko gave her one last look before shrugging and picking up her bag. "Well we better get a move on. We might actually be late at this rate."

As Izumi trailed behind her… her friends… there was an odd empty halo that surrounded her. She couldn't hear the others talking, feel the hard ground below her as she walked, or even really see her surroundings. Her body was on autopilot as she thought over the last couple of years. She thought over all those conversations where she played almost no part and realized that she was almost always a passive bystander. The only times they seemed genuinely excited to be with her was when they were doing homework. They almost never met outside of school except for those few times that they would celebrate the end of their monthly evaluations. And that was usually with a larger group. With their _real_ friends.

If there was one attribute that Izumi held pride in, it was her intelligence: her ability to see and understand situations more clearly than others. But for all of her vast knowledge and intuition, she had been completely oblivious to the fact that Reiko, Wan, and Quan... weren't really her friends; that they were just _using_ her. Perhaps she had been blinded by all her years of loneliness in school. Or perhaps it was because she lacked experience in matters such as long term friendship.

Either way, she knew now what people meant when they described her as cold. Because that's how she felt right now. Cold and empty. Izumi, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, top of her class in everything but bending… was friendless.

* * *

><p>Izumi was usually slow and deliberate when she practiced her bending. She was always determined to move through her flows as perfectly as possible, no matter what pace she had to take. But not today.<p>

The cold emptiness from earlier was gone, replaced by a burning liquid in her veins. It was a familiar - if old - feeling; a feeling she had successfully repressed when she was younger; a feeling that usually only made an appearance when she overheard someone insulting her father. In the past, her inability to control such a feeling would result in her hitting something or some_one_. Today, she poured all of this feeling into her bending, letting it flow out of her in waves of fire.

"Princess, I think you should slow down," Tasen said, standing a safe distance away. "At this rate, you're only going to repeat and solidify your mistakes instead of fixing them."

Tasen was an Imperial Firebender and a friend of Kanan. On Izumi's behalf, Kanan had asked Tasen if he could help guide her firebending before she started training with her father. Tasen had agreed, and the first couple of days had gone very well. Her progress was slow as always, but Tasen was quick to point out her problems and help her fix them. He was quite candid, which she appreciated.

Izumi took a deep breath. "I'm aware. But right now, I don't really have the patience to _fix_ anything." She kicked her leg up, an unnecessarily large arc of fire exploding above her. She twisted her arm forward, another stream of fire intersecting the arc. Releasing her breath with a sigh, she stood straight. "I'm sorry… I know I'm not exactly in control right now. I just…!" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to get a hold of this feeling welling up inside of her. "I'm not really in any condition to train today. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"That's alright, Princess. I understand the need to blow off steam every now and again." He bowed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Your Highness."

Izumi nodded. "Tomorrow." She held a slight frown as she watched him leave. _Blowing off steam? Is that what I'm doing?_ She was... upset... and firebending more recklessly than normal seemed to help relieve that stress. _I suppose that **would** be how you would define that idiom._

Thinking it over more logically actually helped her calm down, though she was still upset. While she wasn't boiling the training grounds with her firebending any longer, she continued her less-than-refined practice. She hated this feeling and the loss of control that accompanied it, but right now, she would do anything to distract herself. Normally she would do homework when she was upset, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. Firebending was the something that separated her from them. They were non-benders. When they had their monthly evaluations, they were tested on their chosen martial art instead of bending. Though even by those standards, they excelled beyond her abilities.

Izumi stopped practicing with a frustrated sigh. The bending wasn't actually helping. She was still thinking about them.

Maybe that's what she needed to do: think about it. Consider the situation from every angle and analyze it to oblivion. That had always been her strong point.

She sat at the edge of the arena, wiped her sweat off with a towel, and thought. Or tried to think. Really, she could only hear their words repeating over and over again. She tried to splice out some other meaning, make their statements have some more innocent intent. But she couldn't. Their statements had been too explicit. It's not like they were talking about some _other_ friend who had a close connection to the Fire Lord.

She buried her face in her hands, trying to quell the shaking in her shoulders. It was stupid to cry over something like this. She had only been 'friends' with them for two years. In the grand scheme of things, that was nothing. She would look back on this insignificant event, chide her past self for being so naive, and move on with her life. There was no reason for her to be upset.

So why couldn't she shake this _feeling_?

"Princess?"

It was Kanan. While it wasn't unusual for him to check up on her during the day - even when they were in the palace - she could only assume that he was here because Tasen had told him of her current state.

Rubbing away the unwanted pressure behind her eyes, she looked up. "Hello, Kanan."

He gave a slight bow. "I just wanted to see how you were. Tasen said you were blowing off steam, which I don't think I've _ever_ seen you do."

Izumi sighed. "I was. Earlier. I've calmed down since then."

"Hmm… I'm a little sorry I missed it."

She frowned, looking up at her guard. "What do you mean? I was just firebending more recklessly than I should have."

"_You_ were firebending recklessly. I've seen you get angry, but I haven't seen or heard of you acting in any way that would be considered _reckless_ since you were eight."

"Yes, well… it won't happen again." She stood and started to gather her things. If nothing was going to successfully distract her, she might as well do homework.

"So what's wrong?" Kanan asked.

"Nothing of consequence."

He almost scoffed. Probably would have if she were not a princess. "You really think I'm going to accept that answer?"

"I am your princess and you'll do as your ordered!"

He seemed unfazed. "You haven't ordered me to do anything."

That was true. For a brief moment, Izumi wanted to order him to shut up, but then realized she was being immature. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just…"

"Upset. Even more upset than you were a few days ago before talking to the Fire Lord."

Izumi made her way to the exit of the training grounds, Kanan following closely behind. She didn't know if she wanted to tell him, but realized she needed to talk to _someone_. Ideally that would have been her father, but he didn't have time for such a trivial matter. "Do you think I'm… boring?"

"Boring?"

Izumi waited for him to continue, then realized that he wanted her to elaborate. She simply shrugged. "I'm always reading and studying, even in my free time. For most people, they would consider that boring. I'm also a bit more practical and analytic than others. Maybe that doesn't exactly make me 'boring' but I suppose it makes me… detached?"

"You're certainly not like other kids your age, I'll give you that much. But I would never say you were _boring_."

Izumi eyed him. "Are you just saying that because I'm the princess and you don't want to insult me?"

Kanan smiled. "Of course not. You're not a boring person. I speak from experience, seeing as I spend a great deal of my life being around you."

That was true. But Izumi had to also consider the fact that this was the opinion of just one man. His opinion may not be shared by others.

A part of her asked why she even cared. Who cares if she's boring? Or detached? Or robotic? That didn't make her a bad person. It might make her less relatable person, but certainly not a worse one.

These statements may be true, but it wasn't making her feel better.

"Well, at the very least…" Izumi said, "... I'm glad that _you_ don't think I'm boring. Your life would be incredibly dull otherwise."

And with that, their conversation ended, just as she intended. She excused herself and then went to get washed up. As she bathed, she silently hoped her father would find time to have dinner with her tonight. They didn't need to talk about her friends, and she didn't really want to. She just wanted to have a nice casual conversation with him. Maybe let him rant about his overbearing advisers for a little bit. Just being with him would help make Izumi feel better.

Of course, when she got to their usual dining room, the chef gave Fire Lord Zuko's apologies, that he wouldn't be able to join her this evening. While Izumi wasn't surprised, she was disappointed. More disappointed than she had expected to be. But she told herself that it was alright. In a few days, Grandfather will be here, and he'll make her tea, tell her stories, and play pai sho with her. And he'll probably _insist_ on dinners with her father.

But tonight, she ate dinner alone, once again trying to force herself not to think about her friends. After half an hour of picking at her food, she stood, thanked the chef, and returned to her room to finish her homework.

It was taking much longer than usual. Her mind kept going in tangents, still analyzing her friends' words or remembering a time when their actions should have clued Izumi in. It was starting to get quite annoying.

It was after midnight, and Izumi was still working on her last assignment. It was a history assignment that wasn't due for another week, but since she knew she was going to be busy with public functions and hanging out with her grandfather, she wanted to get it out of the way. Of course, this assignment was going even slower than all her other ones, but she was determined.

_Princess Know-It-All_

Did she act like that? Did she flaunt her extensive knowledge in people's faces? She certainly didn't try to, but maybe she did so unconsciously. Maybe she should consciously try not talk so much.

This homework _should_ be easy. It was about the Harmony Restoration Movement, which she had heard about time and time again from primary sources like her father and Aang. So why was she having so much trouble even comprehending the questions?

_Even if it did benefit my family's political standing, it's not really worth the utter **boredom**._

Kanan didn't think she was boring. Her father didn't think she was boring. Or did he? Maybe that's why he doesn't come to dinner as much anymore: because she bored him with all of her blather about what she had recently learned. The negotiations were just a convenient excuse.

Izumi shook her head. Okay, now she was just being stupid. If her father had thought she was boring, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to _try_ and have dinner with her these last couple weeks.

She really needed to stop thinking about all of this. She just needed to finish her homework and go to bed. She would feel better tomorrow after some sleep.

With that thought, Izumi's brush froze in its position. _Tomorrow._

With all of her focus on what _had_ happened, she had given no thought on what _will_ happen. She knew she needed to confront them, to tell them that she had heard what they said. But a part of her wanted to keep pretending for a little longer, to go along with the act and pretend she still had friends. After all, if she _hadn't_ heard them, that is precisely what she would be doing: continuing to treat them and be treated as a friend, despite their secret motives. However, Izumi knew that she was a terrible liar. She wouldn't be able to keep the act up, and they would notice that she was acting differently.

So she had to figure out how and when she was going to talk to them. Just thinking about it made her feel unsettled. It was going to be a horrible conversation. There _could_ be some hope that it was all a misunderstanding and that they would explain what they really meant, but she sincerely doubted it.

A slight shiver of anxiety ran through her body, and she sighed. She need to go to bed. She could finish her homework and figure all this out in the morning. She rolled up her scroll, the ink having already dried during her musings. Putting it away, she began to undress when Jaya walked in.

Izumi frowned. "Jaya? You're still here?"

While Jaya often assisted her in the evenings, she was allowed to leave at midnight even if the Princess was still awake. Izumi was capable of preparing herself for bed, even if her hair braiding wasn't as elegant as Jaya's.

Jaya bowed politely. "Yes, Princess. You seemed distracted earlier and thought you might want the extra assistance tonight."

Izumi shook her head. "No, I'm alright."

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Jaya stepped closer, searching Izumi's expression. "You didn't even have me look after you during your bath."

"I know… I am a bit distracted. I just needed some time on my own to - "

There was flash of reflected light and Izumi jumped back on reflex, the blade barely brushing against her clothes. Unfazed, Jaya shouted out as she lunged at Izumi again.

Izumi barely processed the knife before she raised her arm to block the attack. She thrust her other arm forward with a pulse of fire, but Jaya twisted out of harm's way. Kneeling, she swept Izumi's legs out from under her, knocking her backward. Jaya made to stab at her, but Izumi rolled to the side just before the blade hit he ground. Rolling to her feet, Izumi struck both her hands out, releasing a large torrent of fire, but Jaya jumped over it and charged.

Jaya was easily outmaneuvering Izumi. She was trained fighter. Izumi couldn't win this.

"S-Somebody!" Izumi cried out, barely avoiding the ceaseless assaults. "Somebody HELP!"

That's when Jaya clipped her cheek, knocking Izumi off balance. Jaya practically tackled her to the ground, straddling the princess' hips so she couldn't get away.

Izumi stared up, breathless, and hardly able to recognize her personal aid of five years. One hand pinning Izumi down, the other poised to strike, Jaya's expression was one twisted with a rage Izumi had never before seen. But the rage was marred by tears that stained reddened cheeks.

Izumi knew. She was going to die. Jaya was going to kill her for a reason she'll never know.

Her voice hallow, Jaya breathed, "For my mother."

A deafening roar and a blur of red. And then nothing.

Izumi stared at the ceiling, her body unable to move despite no longer being pinned. Something just happened. She was sure of it. Her eyes had seen _something_ occur. The fact that Jaya was no longer on top of her had to _mean_ something.

Then her senses slammed back into gear, making Izumi gasp and cough for air. She was trembling violently as if she were caught in a snowstorm. She clutched her arms to her chest, trying to calm her frantically pounding heart. There was a dull ringing in her ears, but it wasn't enough to block out a familiar low rumble.

With more effort than it should have taken, Izumi rolled to her side. She couldn't see Jaya, only Druk's long twisted body. He was facing away from her, his tail twitching from side. He was agitated. Why would he be agitated? What was he doing in her room? How did he get _in_ her room?

She wasn't thinking straight. Curling on the ground, she closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. The cold floor against her forehead was soothing, slowly leeching out her raw nerves.

When she heard the familiar rumble again, she opened her eyes to find Druk had curled around her, one of his wings draped protectively over her. She placed a hand against his warm, solid body. It expanded and constricted slowly with his breathing, calming her own stuttered breath. Closing her eyes, she focused on the the motion, the sensations of Druk's living body. There were the different vibrations and tremors as he growled and snarled for reasons beyond her. The slow, almost sluggish, thumping of his heart resonated through her own body.

"-zumi…! Izumi!"

Her father's voice. It was the only voice that could break through her tenuous calm.

Druk had slightly uncurled his body and lifted his wing. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Izumi looked up to see her father. His eyes were wide and frantic, his breathing quicker than normal. He brushed his knuckles against her lower cheek. "Are you okay?! What happened?!"

"I-I'm okay…" She tried to sit up, but it was difficult with her limbs still shaking. Zuko helped her, placing an arm across her back to support her. "Jaya t-tried t-t-to…" Her voice got caught in her throat. "J-Ja-ya…"

"Shh… It's okay." Zuko wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her with all his might. His voice was strained, but strong. "You're okay now. It's over."

Izumi gripped her father tightly, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Nestling into his arms, she soaked in his presence by breathing in his warmth and scent and allowing it to disperse through her body. She was still trembling, her heart fluttering, and her mind surprisingly blank. But it was okay.

Her father was here now. She was safe.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you all think? Review and let me know. All criticisms welcome.<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey all!**

**There's more fluff in this chapter than I anticipated. I don't think you guys will mind ;)**

**Enjoy Chapter 3!**

* * *

><p>Jaya was dead. When Druk had flown in (through Izumi's open bay window) and tackled her, he had dug his claws through her throat and chest. A quick, if gruesome, death. Izumi had tried to glance at the body, but Zuko had quickly led her away to the infirmary. Once the healers had looked her over, she almost immediately fell asleep in the infirmary wing.<p>

The next morning, she awoke to find that her father had stayed by her during the night. As had Druk, whose head was currently resting next to her on the bed as Zuko yelled at Yinzo, the man in charge of hiring and managing the palace staff.

"Your Highness, I assure you that my people are taking every measure to - "

"And why weren't these measures taken _before_ my daughter was attacked in her own bedroom!?" Zuko was using his height to face down the hapless man, his face red with rage.

"W-Well we did, but there are over a hundred people under our employ and - "

"Enough of your excuses! Have you become so lax in your duties that you let an _assassin_ into my home!?"

"All of Jaya's papers checked out!" Yinzo blurted, shaking under the Fire Lord's gaze. "And n-nothing turned up when we investigated her background!"

"That's not good enough!"

"Father!" Izumi cut in. "Stop blaming Yinzo. Considering how much of the world wants to kill us, you should impressed that in all of these years only _one_ person managed to slip by him!"

Zuko's shoulders relaxed slightly, and Yinzo gave her a grateful look. Zuko was still furious, but he didn't look as though he were about to grab someone and squeeze the life out of them anymore. "Of course. I know that Yinzo has done a fantastic job considering… But that still doesn't excuse this incident!"

"I'm _fine_," Izumi stressed. "It might have been a close call, but I'm not even badly hurt!"

Zuko glared skeptically at his daughter and bandage taped to her cheek, as if that was all the rebuttal he needed.

During and immediately after the attack, Izumi had hardly noticed the wound. She had felt it split open in the moment when Jaya sliced her, but it had been immediately forgotten. It wasn't until Zuko had repeatedly asked if she was alright that she realized her face was covered in blood. Even then, she didn't think it was anything more than a scratch until the healers had started stitching her face back together. That's when she became aware of the pain.

A healer had just applied a new salve with herbs to numb the pain, so it wasn't too difficult to talk at the moment. There was just a tightness across her face when she moved her mouth. This was good, since apparently she needed to reign in her father. "Yinzo has already started to question everyone in the palace and organize another round of background checks. He's doing everything he can. You can't ask more of him."

Zuko maintained his gaze with Izumi for a moment before reluctantly closing his eyes. "You're dismissed, Yinzo."

Yinzo bowed and quickly left before the Fire Lord could change his mind. With a tired sigh, Zuko addressed the healer. "How is she?"

"It doesn't seem to be infected. As long as the princess doesn't move it too much, we can remove the stitches in a few days."

"Good." He turned to Izumi. "How are you feeling?"

"It feels a little weird, but doesn't hurt."

Zuko seemed unconvinced, but gave the healer a quick nod to dismiss her before speaking. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"Oh." Her grip on Druk's mane tightened. "I'm a bit tired, but otherwise I'm okay."

Now that they were alone, the anger in Zuko's expression had melted away, revealing the agitated concern that had been underneath. He sat down on the other side of Izumi and wrapped an arm around her, a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need put on a brave face for me."

"Father, this isn't the first time someone has attacked me."

Zuko pursed his lips. "No. But this is closest anyone has gotten. Izumi, there's no way you are just _okay_. And that's alright. There's nothing wrong with being jumpy or nervous after someone's tried to _kill_ you."

Izumi sighed, hating her stuttered breath that gave it all away. "I know… I just don't want you to worry."

He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm your father. I would be worrying about you anyway. It _would_ make me feel better to know you're not bottling things up inside."

"I'm not bottling," she said indignantly. Feeling a headache starting to form, she pressed the heel of her palm against her temple. "I think I'm still just processing it. In a way, it doesn't feel like it even happened."

"I know what you mean. Sometimes I think back and can't believe all those times I was attacked in the early years. There was a month where I had _nine_ close calls. It's hard to imagine now."

"But you were fine. You didn't get seriously hurt or killed. And neither did I." She didn't know if she was trying to comfort her father or herself.

Zuko pulled her closer, and Izumi leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Something about the embrace seemed to help brush away the pinpricks of pain in her head. Breathing deeply, she relaxed against his body, tremors she hadn't been aware of slowly dissipating.

At some point she had fallen back asleep. When she woke up again, her father was sitting next to the bed, studying something on the small table. "How long was I asleep?"

He jumped a little, but quickly recovered. "Not long. Just a couple hours."

Izumi looked at the scrolls that were laid out. There was a map of the Western Coast of the Earth Kingdom, different lines and scribbles painted onto it, along with what appeared to be a long scroll of Fire Nation names.

She suddenly sat up. "Shouldn't you be working with your advisers?!"

Zuko waved her off. "I don't need to handhold my advisers every step of the way."

"But Kuei and Aang are going to be here in a few days! Don't you have to have your proposal for the borders, the process and list of those changing citizenship, _and_ organize the negotiation schedule for the next month? You can't do all of that by yourself!"

"Izumi… I can take it easy for _one_ day."

"Do your advisers think so?"

Zuko groaned. "No, but they're overbearing, overworking little - "

"Father, you don't need to stay with me," she insisted. "It's not like your presence will make my cut heal faster. That'll just take time." She looked out the window. "I should be going to the Academy anyway so I don't - "

"Absolutely not!" Zuko cut in. "You will stay in the palace and _rest_. Don't worry about your studies. I'm sure your teachers will understand."

Izumi groaned. Just what she needed: her teachers giving the _princess_ special treatment. She tried not to think about it. "Regardless, you shouldn't be here. I'm fine, Father; I really am. You've made it very clear in the last few months that you hardly have any time to spare. Now that you're reaching the end, I'm certain that's even _more_ true. If you want to complete everything in time, you need to be working efficiently as possible. That means you need to be working with your advisers, not sitting in the infirmary while I sleep."

His eyes slightly wide, Zuko seemed a little taken back. After a moment of silence, he seemed a little resigned. "Izumi, it's fine if you want me to leave."

Why did this have to be so difficult? "I don't _want_ you to leave. I'm just pointing out _why_ you should be spending your time working with your advisers. We'll have time to ourselves once Grandfather gets here. And even more after the commencement. It's better to work now and have time later."

Zuko smiled. "I suppose you're right." He looked down at his scrolls, nudging them away. "Working with Ezam on these would probably be less mind-numbing at the very least…"

Izumi slid off the bed and wrapped her arms around her father's neck. "One more month."

Zuko wrapped an arm around her, letting out a long sigh. "I know."

When she let go and sat back on the bed, Zuko marked his place and gathered all of things. "I really _do_ want you to be resting. Don't got sneaking off to do homework or training."

"I won't," she promised. "Although I assume I _am_ allowed to read?"

"Of course." Tucking everything under his arm, Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"_Yes_. Now go work."

"Alright, alright…" He lightly kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later."

She nodded. "Later."

* * *

><p>Izumi tried to stay in bed and rest as her father envisioned, but without his presence to distract her, she found herself re-playing the attack over and over in her head. Although there wasn't much of the actual fight that she could remember. It was mostly just snapshots.<p>

Jaya had entered Izumi's room, her face pleasantly neutral as always. There had been nothing to indicate what she had been about to do. Not until she struck. Between that moment and when she had been pinned to the ground, Izumi knew that she had struggled to evade Jaya and that she had called for help. But she didn't actually _remember_ any of it.

And then there had been that _look_; that horrible twisted expression that had made Jaya unrecognizable.

Five years. Jaya had worked for Izumi for five years, making her bed, helping her bathe, doing her hair (and make-up if need be)... and Izumi had never had the slightest inkling.

Much like the day before, Izumi was running through the last five years, trying to remember if there were any signs she missed, any small indications that might have tipped her off that Jaya was capable of killing her. However, unlike with her friends, Izumi looked back and saw nothing. She couldn't remember Jaya ever being even the slightest bit hostile toward her or her father. Jaya never tried to make small suggestions about policy or comment on how the Fire Lord was running the nation. She never even got annoyed when Izumi asked her for assistance outside of what was strictly in her job description.

Of course, Izumi hadn't really spoken to Jaya that much. They conversed almost daily, but it was usually about the most mundane of things: the current affairs of the country and the world, Izumi's school, which braids were easier than others… They almost never spoke of anything remotely personal. When she had been twelve, Izumi had asked if Jaya had any children. She had said no, that she wasn't married.

Izumi curled onto her side, staring at the chair her father had previously been sitting in. A wave of relief washed over her at the realization that Jaya had no immediate family. It was a horrible thought: the idea of going to inform children that their mother had been mauled by a dragon.

It was all surreal. If it wasn't for the bandage over her cheek, Izumi would have doubted it had even happened. _Why_ had Jaya tried to kill her? Why did she wait five years? Certainly it would have been easier to kill a ten year old?

_For my mother!_

Her thoughts were a jumble and she didn't like it. In fact, it made her feel irritable and restless on top of feeling sad and confused.

She couldn't just sit here and 'rest'. She needed to _do_ something.

Getting out of bed, Izumi started to dress. She may have promised her father that she wouldn't train or do homework, but that didn't mean she had to stay confined to the infirmary.

Twenty minutes later, she was standing in front of Yinzo's office, lightly knocking on his door. "Yinzo? It's Izumi."

There was some hurried scurrying and a loud thump before the door was flung open, revealing a very frazzled looking man. "Princess! H-How may I help you?"

Izumi peered around him, noticing the piles and piles of scattered scrolls and brushes. "I… wanted to ask if I could look at Jaya's file."

Yinzo fell a little somber and nodded. "Of course. There isn't much to see, though. No husband or children to speak of, no indications of any activities with the New Ozai Society or the Terran Resistance… she lived a quiet life before coming to work here at the palace."

As he dug through his piles, Izumi stepped into his office, a little alarmed at how widespread the mess was. Yinzo was usually such an orderly man.

"I wanted to thank you for earlier," Yinzo said. "I thought the Fire Lord was going to flay me alive…"

"I know my father can be a bit scary…" Izumi said, "But I don't think he was even going to fire you, let alone punish you."

Yinzo gave a small nervous laugh. "I think you underestimate your father's… erm... _protective_ nature."

"Trust me; I don't."

"Hmm. I suppose you wouldn't... Ah! Here it is." He held up a bundle of scrolls. "Jaya's background check, interview, and history."

Izumi took the offered scrolls. "Thank you, Yinzo. Also, if you don't mind me asking, how's the investigation going?"

"You mean double checking the backgrounds and activities of _every_ servant in the palace?" Yinzo sighed. "It'll probably take me at least two weeks. Hopefully, there won't be any flags on anyone's report. I'm afraid it'll also take me a while to find you a new personal aid..."

"Don't worry about that. People dress and bathe themselves all the time." Izumi looked down at the scrolls. They were held by a golden ribbon where Jaya's name was neatly painted.

This is what was left of Jaya: a few dusty scrolls. Not even children to carry on her legacy. It made Izumi feel a little ill.

"Are you alright, Princess?"

She took a deep breath, willing the sick feeling away. "Yes, I'm fine." She gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Yinzo."

"Of course. It's my pleasure, Your Highness."

She was about to walk out, but then paused. "Don't tell my father I was here."

Yinzo looked surprise. "May I ask why?"

"As you said… my father's protective. I won't ask you to lie to him, just don't tell him if he doesn't ask."

Yinzo nodded. "As you wish."

Walking away from Yinzo's office, Izumi started to untie the ribbon. There were three scrolls, and they _were_ quite small. Sliding two of the scrolls and the ribbon into her sleeve, she unrolled the third. It was Jaya's history. As Yinzo had suggested, there wasn't much there. She had lived in the Futsuken Province until she was twenty, then moved to the capital. She began working at the palace a year later.

The other scrolls didn't offer much either. Before working in the palace, she had unsteady work as a caretaker and a wet nurse. All of her previous employers seemed to like her, describing her as shy, but sharp. In her interview, Jaya had admitted that she was only looking for a steady job, expressing neither negative nor positive opinions about the Royal Family. Her father had died in the Earth Kingdom during the war, and her mother was still living in the Futsuken Province.

Izumi frowned. While nothing seemed incriminating, she found it strange that Jaya had no previous stance on the Royal Family. Izumi didn't think she had _ever_ met someone who didn't have _something_ to say about her family. But what was even more perplexing was the fact that Jaya's mother was currently living in Futsuken.

From the hatred and grief that Izumi had seen in Jaya's face, that didn't seem to be right. Why would Jaya want to kill Izumi if her mother was still alive? Why did she look so devastated?

Perhaps Jaya's mother had died recently, and her records hadn't been updated. But if it was recent, why would Jaya blame Izumi? What could Izumi or her father have done that could have possibly caused her mother's presumptive demise?

Izumi squeezed the scroll in her hand. She had research to do.

* * *

><p>There was an exited buzz throughout the palace as everyone prepared for the arrival of King Kuei and Avatar Aang. Most of them had never seen the Avatar in person before and none of them had ever seen the Earth King. One would never guess that they worked for one of the most powerful families in the world, their excitement for other celebrities was so palpable.<p>

Izumi had tried to put her hair up in an attempt to look presentable. However, after an hour of struggling with all the pins, clips, and ribbons, she decided that leaving her hair loose with her normal top knot would be best. Especially compared to the shrewrat nest she had managed to create. Then, after putting on a formal but simple dress, she stared at her make-up for about minute before deciding to not even try.

She headed to the main gate, where she was supposed to meet with her father and await for their guests' arrivals. King Kuei was coming with his delegation (and a woman rumoured to be his fiance) via ship. Captain Sun and other members of the Imperial Guard were to escort them from the port to the palace. Avatar Aang and his family were coming with Appa and were expected to come straight to the courtyard behind the main gate. Of course, Izumi was most excited about seeing her grandfather. Between the stress the ongoing negotiations were causing Zuko, the recent assassination attempt, and all of the problems Izumi was having at school, it was going to be nice to have Iroh's ever-patient and understanding presence.

Izumi was almost at the courtyard when she passed the entrance to one of the smaller side gardens. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something large and red. Upon a second glance, she saw Druk curled up in the corner of the garden, her father sitting next to the pond. "Aren't you supposed to be at the main gate?"

Zuko looked up and smiled when he saw who it was. "I've been told that there was a storm. Appa managed to mostly avoid it, but they're going to be about an hour or so later than expected. Kuei's ship won't be here until the morning."

"Oh." When Izumi walked in, Druk raised his head minutely and acknowledged her with a small rumble before continuing his nap. Standing next to her father, she asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone's fine. It wasn't that bad of a storm." Zuko patted the ground next to him. "Why don't you sit down? I'm just taking a breather before falling head-first into these next three weeks."

Izumi took her father's offer, watching the adolescent turtleducks play in the pond. "You really like this garden, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

Izumi shrugged. "I never thought about it before, but whenever you're stressed or want to relax, you always come here. All of the palace gardens have their own beauty and charm, but you don't seem to go to other ones."

"I suppose that's true." He pulled out a small package from his tunic and unwrapped it to reveal several chunks of bread. Without prompt, Izumi took half of them, making Zuko smile. "It's been a while since we've done this…"

Izumi nodded. It _had_ been a while. They used to feed the turtleducks quite often when she was little. Every week, they would spend an afternoon in this garden, doing everything from playing hide and explode to reading in the shade of the tree. Her father had been busy, even back then, but they always had that one afternoon to themselves. Izumi tried to remember when they had stopped, but couldn't picture a specific time.

Izumi tore off pieces of bread and tossed them into the pond, smiling when the turtleducks excitedly converged upon them. She supposed their weekly escapades had tapered off after she started going to the Academy.

Tossing the rest of the crumbs, Zuko sighed and turned to look at his daughter. "How have you been feeling?"

"I've been fine. Busy, trying to stay on top of all my homework."

Zuko scoffed. "You only missed _two_ days of school. You can't be that far behind."

"I'm not behind. I'm just not where I want to be."

With a small sigh, Zuko placed a hand on her leg. "You know, it's alright to take it easy every once and a while. School is important and all, but you shouldn't be working yourself into the ground."

"I'm not… I _like_ doing homework. As weird as it is, it helps me relax." _Most of the time._

"Yes, you've always been like that." He gave her leg a quick squeeze. "I still worry."

Izumi shook her head. "You have nothing to worry about. I'm fine."

"I know, I know, but I'm your father. I can't help but worry."

"Well, _I'm_ not the one who stays up all night working."

Zuko blushed slightly. "The moment _you_ have your own advisers working you to the bone... let me know so I can fire them."

Izumi glared at her father, wondering if she should point out the hypocrisy of his statement. Deciding to let it go, she leaned against her father with a sigh. "Besides, I haven't _just_ been doing homework."

"Oh? What else have you been working on?"

Izumi bit her bottom lip. "I… I know why Jaya wanted to kill me."

She heard his breathing catch as his body stiffened. Druk must have sensed something, because he raised his head to look at them. The moment hung sordidly in the air.

Then, Zuko quietly asked, "Why did she want to kill you?"

Izumi sat up straight, feeling more comfortable explaining everything to him in a more factual manner. "Jaya is from the Futsuken Province. More specifically, she's from a small fishing village called Jang Hui, which lies in the middle of the Ogawa River. Toward the end of the war, Ozai established a factory that heavily polluted the river and wreaked havoc on the village. Aang and the others actually stopped the factory and cleaned the river before the war ended, but there were some long term effects. Many of the villagers were permanently ill, including Jaya's mother."

"That's why she tried to kill _you_? Because _Ozai_ poisoned her mother?"

Izumi tried to ignore the fury that laced his voice. "Captain Sun let me look at some of Jaya's personal belongings. There was a box of letters. They were mostly between Jaya and her mother, but the most recent was a letter from someone else in her village, informing her that her mother had just died."

Zuko's breathing was a little too controlled, his anger rolling off him in waves. Wiping a hand over his face, he let out a noise of frustration. "I don't understand these people…" he said more to himself than to Izumi. "You weren't even _born_ yet…"

"Jaya had received that letter only hours before she tried to attack me," Izumi offered quietly. "I think she acted more out of grief than reason. The shock most likely - "

Her father yanked her into his arms, cutting her off. "Stop, Izumi. Just… stop."

He was squeezing her so hard it almost hurt to breathe. Did she upset him? What had she said? "I-I'm sorry… I-I didn't mean to…"

"It doesn't matter," he whispered. "You're safe now. That's all that matters now, is that you're safe..."

Izumi had never seen her father so shaken before. It was unsettling to say the least. Was it just left over from the attack? Or had she said something to trigger this? She felt a little ill at the thought. Quivering in his arms, she wished he would go back to being angry. It was easier to handle. Slowly squirming through his tight grip, she managed to wrap her arms around his chest. _Please don't be upset._ Tears were forming in her eyes and she wasn't quite sure why. _I'm sorry if I made you upset. You don't need to be upset. I'm here, and I'm safe._

Slowly, Zuko loosened his grip, but he didn't let go. With a shaky sigh, he brought up a hand and placed it on the back of Izumi's neck. "I love you, Izumi. Never forget that."

Izumi brought up a hand and wrapped it around his wrist. _Of course I won't._ "I love you too, Father."

* * *

><p><strong>Criticisms of all kinds welcome as always. <strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey all!**

**Ugh, being sick is the worst. However, I was finally able to finish up the next chapter :)**

**Enjoy Chapter 4!**

* * *

><p>The first indication that Appa was close was when Druk suddenly raised his head to sniff the air. A moment later, he stood and launched himself into the sky. As she watched the red sliver disappear into the distance, Izumi felt excitement bubbling up inside of her. She grabbed her father's hand and stood. "Ready?"<p>

He stood with a small sigh. "As ready as I'll ever be."

It was only a couple of minutes later that Appa and Druk descended upon them in the courtyard. Once they landed, Aang flashed a bright smile. "Hey Zuko. Hey Izumi."

"Ugh, finally!" Twelve-year-old Bumi climbed over the saddle and slid off down Appa's side. "If I had to stay on there for one more minute, I would have gone insane…"

Iroh sighed as he disembarked via the more gentle route down Appa's tail. "Sometimes I wonder if tea brewing really is a dying art…" When he hit the ground, he saw Izumi and smiled with open arms. "Izumi…"

Izumi's cheek was getting sore from the strain of her smile, but she couldn't help it. Izumi ran up into his welcoming arms. "It's so good to see you, Grandfather."

"Let me take a look at you..." Iroh held her out at arms length, smiling warmly. "Ah, you're getting more beautiful by the year."

Izumi felt herself blush, unused to such open flattery, even though it wasn't unusual coming from her grandfather. "Th-thanks..."

Aang jumped down from Appa, gently landing with a swirl of air. Five-year-old Kya was nestled in his arms, fast asleep. "I don't suppose you already have rooms ready for us?" he asked. "Kya hasn't been sleeping well lately, so I want to take advantage of this."

"Sure," Zuko said. "We'll walk you there."

After he was unloaded, Appa followed Druk to the special stables that were made especially for large animals. Everyone's luggage was sorted - servants taking Iroh's things to his regular room - before Zuko led everyone to the guest wing where Aang and his kids would be staying. Zuko and Aang indulged in some quite small talk while Bumi trailed behind them, bitter about having to carry his and Kya's bags. Izumi and Iroh followed as she asked Iroh about the Jasmine Dragon.

"Father says your bubble tea is becoming popular."

"Yes, it seems Ba Sing Se is finally starting to recognize my genius! It has been a bumpy twenty years… thank goodness my other teas are popular on their own right."

"Grandfather, I don't think there is a single person on this earth that could make better than tea than you."

"Aw, that's very sweet of you…"

"I'm not flattering you, Grandfather."

Iroh chuckled. "No, you never have been one to flatter."

When they arrived at Aang and his kids' rooms, they all dropped of their luggage while Aang tucked Kya into bed. When he came back out, Zuko asked, "Where _is_ Katara? I thought she was coming too."

"Oh… She hasn't been feeling well lately. I brought the kids to give her a break while she rests."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, it's nothing serious. We just decided it would be better if she stayed home."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's been a while since we've seen her last. I was also kind of hoping she could take a look at Izumi's wound…"

Aang turned to Izumi and frowned at the bandage on her face. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Izumi's eyes widened slightly as she looked between Aang and her grandfather. "You guys… You guys don't know?"

A somber look could barely be discerned from her grandfather's expression. He either knew or had an accurate estimation. Aang, on the other hand, clearly had no clue what she could possibly be referring to. "Don't know what?" he asked. "Did you have an accident?"

Izumi reflexively placed a hand over her bandage. "No… I-I was attacked."

"_Attacked_?" Aang echoed. "By who? When did this happen? Are you alright?"

"I'm _fine_," Izumi stressed.

"She needed ten stitches," Zuko said, anger underlying his voice.

"Which the healers think can come out tomorrow," Izumi pointed out.

"Her… personal aid attacked her a few nights ago," Zuko went on. "Her mother had died as a result of one of Ozai's policies."

"Oh man…" Aang turned to Izumi. "But you're alright?"

She nearly rolled her eyes, tired of repeating herself. "_Yes_."

Aang's shoulders relaxed. "I'm glad." He turned back to Zuko. "That's good."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," Zuko growled.

"But it did," Aang said. "And Izumi's not that hurt."

Izumi was starting to feel very uncomfortable. "Let's grab dinner," she cut in, pointedly raising her voice. "The dining hall should be ready by now."

"_Finally_," Bumi said. "I'm starving. And dad said I could eat meat here if I want!"

"Really?" Izumi said, placing a hand on his back and nudging him toward the dining hall. "That's good. The chef prepared enough food to feed Kuei's delegation, but since they're not arriving until tomorrow, there will be _plenty_ for you to eat."

"Awesome! I'm going to eat until I'm sick!"

"I don't think being sick should be a goal…"

She didn't turn around to see if the adults were following. All she wanted was to get away from the direction that conversation had been going. If they wanted argue semantics and parenting, they could do it on their own.

She hated hearing her father talking about her. She didn't know why. She didn't mind when people talked _over_ her or spoke as if she wasn't there. In fact, she preferred being in the background. But when it was her father… it just made her feel anxious.

It really made no sense, and it bothered her that she couldn't figure out an exact cause for the anxiety. However, in the absence of a reasonable explanation, all she could do was to try and avoid these situations altogether.

Dinner was pleasantly stressless. The first part of dinner was mostly filled with small talk. As the evening wore on, this dissolved into more serious discussions. Aang and Zuko discussed the negotiations, King Kuei, and the commencement. Despite his earlier declarations, Bumi had merely eaten himself into a stupor, half listening to his father and Zuko, half dozing. Meanwhile, Iroh was asking Izumi about every facet of her life. "And how is everything at the Academy?"

"Everything is… good. I'm a little behind in my bending. Well, _really_ behind on my bending…"

"I'm sure you're not _that_ behind."

"I just passed Luohan Quan."

Iroh looked mildly surprised, but smiled. "All that means is that your strength is not in fighting. I can't say I'm disappointed. Despite the few - very understandable - outbursts you had when you were young, you have always been more level-headed than your peers. Your strength lies in your intelligence and patience."

Izumi frowned. "I wouldn't describe myself as patient. In fact, I would say that I'm the opposite."

"You hold yourself to _very_ high standards. You may not see it, but you _are_ very patient for your age. You always have been. When was the last time you demanded someone to do something for you?"

"I mean, I ask Ja… I often ask servants for help."

"Yes, you _ask_. Trust me, you're the most patient member of royalty to have graced this earth. Even when _I_ was your age, I could be a bit demanding."

Izumi smirked. "Let me guess: your servants didn't brew your tea quite to your liking."

Iroh cringed. "If only. I didn't really have much… interest in tea when I was younger."

"You? Not interested in _tea_?"

"I have had a long life, Izumi. Long enough to go through many terrible phases of ignorance."

She giggled. "You'll have to tell me about those phases sometime. It's hard to imagine what kind of person you were. Especially since you never talk about it."

He had a sad smile. "I hardly recognize the person I used to be... And there was a time when it would have caused me great shame to even speak about that person. You know you have grown _truly_ old when nothing seems to shame you anymore." His smile widened. "I'd love to tell you whatever stories you might want to hear. But not tonight. It has been a long day and my back wasn't terribly pleased with Appa's accommodations."

"Oh, of course!" Izumi said. "Maybe tomorrow, after I come back from the Academy." She looked over at her father, who was still conversing seriously with Aang, before returning her gaze to her grandfather. "I can walk you back to your room if you want."

"I would be delighted."

As they got up, Izumi tapped Bumi's shoulder. "Do you want to go back to your room?"

Bumi gave his father a dull glance before nodding. "Sure." He pointed at the plates of food. "Can I take stuff back for Kya?"

"Of course you can. We can have someone bring a plate back for her."

"No, I got it."

Aang noticed Bumi dumping sizable portions of food on his plate.. "Bumi, don't tell me you're _still_ hungry."

"No, it's for Kya."

Aang looked at the darkness outside the window. "Wow, I didn't realize it was so late!" He stood, placing a hand on Bumi's shoulder. "We should go check on Kya."

Bumi shrugged him off. "I'm not kid. You don't need to _lead_ me."

Aang held his arms up defensively. "I know, I know…" He flashed a smile at the others as they walked out. "Night, guys."

When Aang and Bumi rounded the corner, Zuko turned to Izumi and Iroh with a sigh. "I shouldn't be this exhausted… I hardly worked today."

"You just spent two hours discussing the negotiations with Aang," Izumi pointed out. "You _were_ working."

He shook his head. "Three more weeks… three more hellish weeks…"

Iroh gently placed a hand on Zuko's arm and led him towards their rooms. "You, my dear nephew, have never quite mastered the art of relaxation. Let's go have a enjoy a nice pot of jasmine tea before going to bed."

"I can relax," Zuko replied petulantly. "And I can't go to sleep yet. I need to - "

"It can wait until the morning," Iroh insisted, tightening the grip on Zuko's arm. "Driving yourself into exhaustion isn't going to help anyone."

Izumi trailed behind them with a small smile, enjoying their antics. The lines of tension that had lined her body were slowly fading, making it a little easier to breathe.

There were three weeks left, but she had high hopes that her grandfather's presence would make the meantime much more pleasant.

* * *

><p>Izumi had not forgotten about how her friends were not exactly… her friends. But in the wake of the attempted assassination, it had become wholly insignificant. The arrival of all of the palace's guests had also served as a temporary distraction. However, now that she was regularly attending the Academy again, she needed to make some decisions.<p>

Had she not been distracted by the assassination, Izumi probably would have confronted her friends the very next day. However, as it was, she had been completely unprepared for the outpouring of concern they had all expressed when they saw her again. Quietly answering all their questions, she had felt a little sick, unable to shake the feeling that most of their words were probably disingenuous.

She couldn't keep ignoring it. Every time she saw them, there were horrid waves of nausea. It just wasn't sustainable. So the day after King Kueis delegation arrived, she decided that she would confront them. She tried to think of the least stress-inducing way of bringing up the conversation, but realized relatively high levels of anxiety were simply inevitable.

They were doing homework. A very normal activity for them to engage in. It was arithmetic. Basic trigonometry. Quan was really the only one who was struggling, though that was largely due to the fact that he was resisting learning the basics. "It's not just about triangles: these solutions are derived from the unit circle…"

"I don't care what these things _mean_," Quan said. "I just want to get the answers."

"I'm trying to show you _how_ to get the answers," Izumi stressed. "You've tried memorizing the chart I gave you, but that doesn't seem to work. If you understand what's going on, you can derive all your answers _without_ having to memorize them."

Quan slumped in his chair with a disgusted sigh. "More work…" he mumbled. "What's _with_ you anyway?"

Izumi stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"Usually you just happily say all the answers without a care in the world. But now it's like you're just trying to make it harder for us."

"Wan and Reiko don't need me to tell them the answers," she pointed out.

"He has a point…" Wan said, jumping into the conversation. "It's been kind of weird. All of the sudden, you've been kind of cagey about the answers. It's not just arithmetic; It's _everything_ we study."

Izumi nodded, folding her hands into her lap. "Well… I guess I didn't want to just _give_ you the answers. There's no point in getting good grades if you don't know anything."

"What, now you're calling us stupid?" Quan asked.

"She's _not_ calling us stupid," Reiko cut in. "Izumi has a point: Giving us all the answers now isn't going to help us in the long run."

Quan rolled his eyes and muttered under this breath, "Useless cowpig…"

Izumi didn't know if it was directed at her or Reiko, but a surge of that fiery liquid rose up in her chest. Suddenly standing, she placed her hands firmly on the table in front of her. "I'm sorry, Quan," she said, her voice strained and clipped. "I know giving you all the answers was the _one_ reason you were my friend. Maybe it's just time that our friendship come to an end."

A dead silence fell upon the group. Wan and Reiko looked shocked and horrified, and Quan just stared at her wide-eyed. Izumi herself was trembling, and she hoped it wasn't noticeable to the others.

Finally, Quan broke the silence. "You overheard us… didn't you?"

Izumi momentarily calmed, taken by surprise. Out of the three of them, she hadn't expected _Quan_ to be the perceptive one. But then her body tensed again. "Yes. I heard why each of you are my… my _friends_."

"Izumi…" Reiko said quietly, holding her hands up placatingly. "... it's not what you think."

"Really? So when you were wondering if your family's political standing was worth the _boredom_, what precisely did you mean?"

Reiko recoiled as if slapped. Normally, Izumi would have felt bad, but in this very moment, all she felt was this burning sensation that threatened to shake her apart.

"We were just j-joking around," Wan said shakily. "You know, joking about the 'perks' of being your friend..."

"Y-yeah…" Reiko said. "You're our friend, and you just happen to be the Fire Lord's daughter! Haha…"

Izumi was finding it difficult to breath. Did they actually think she was going to _believe_ this? They were putting up this half-mast attempt to salvage the shambling threads of their friendship, and for what? Because they had some vain hope that she would be _politically valuable_?

"You guys are pathetic," Quan said. "She _knows_, and nothing you can say is going to save this."

Reiko deflated. She looked disappointed. Not sad or upset that their friendship was over. Just… disappointed.

Wan sighed. "Well, now my father will stop pestering me…"

Izumi's entire body went numb. She had expected a fight, some yelling, some anger… Not this. Not this calm resignation. They've had all been friends for over two years, and _this_ was their reaction. They didn't look as though they had lost friend; just an opportunity.

She couldn't take it. She shoved her crumpled scrolls and dirty brushes into her bag, flung it over her shoulder, and marched out. As she made her way to the Academy's entrance, she couldn't decide which hurt more: walking away knowing that there was no going back... or the lack of any of their protests.

There were afternoon classes, but she couldn't go. She couldn't think. She couldn't _breathe_. She walked out of the Academy, straight past Kanan without a word.

"Your Highness?" Kanan came up from behind. "Is everything alright? You're classes aren't - "

"Don't talk to me," Izumi snapped.

Kanan's eyes widened. "Princess, what's wrong?" he asked, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"I'm fine. I just… just… need… to go home."

They spent the rest of the trip home in tense silence. Kanan hovered uncomfortably close as they walked, probably worried that Izumi was in some sort of danger. She didn't know how to make it clearer to him that there was no threat on her life - or anything else of the sort - so she didn't comment on it.

When they got to the palace, Kanan didn't leave to check in with the Head of the Guard as he usually does. Instead, he followed Izumi to her room, still hovering, if at a more comfortable distance. "Please stop following me," Izumi asked.

"I will. Once I'm sure you're alright."

"I told you: I'm fine." She threw her bag on her bed and then stood at the front of her desk, her back to Kanan. "I'm within the walls of the palace. I'm in no danger. I just need to be alone to think."

"Princess, I - "

"_Just leave!_"

She didn't turn around, but the lack of footsteps told her that he hadn't complied. Gripping the edge of her desk, she willed him to leave, to obey the very explicit order. After several long moments, she finally heard him turn to leave. But then something else occurred to her. "Don't tell my father," she commanded, her voice low and clear.

There was a pause. "Of course, Your Highness." Then there was the sound of a closing door, and then the slow decrescendo of Kanan's footsteps.

Slowly releasing her breath, Izumi released her iron grip on the desk, her shoulders falling as she relaxed. Slumping down into her chair, she buried her face in her hands, trying to quell her trembling.

This was unacceptable. She couldn't be falling apart. She had no reason to. Nothing her friends had said had been new or revealing. They simply confirmed what she already knew. She shouldn't be feeling this… much… _worse_.

Drawing in a deep breath, she pressed her palms firmly on top of her desk. She was going to work on homework. She was going to focus on geography, writing, mechanics, history, arithmetic… Focusing will make her feel better.

Decision made, she pulled out her scrolls and started to do her readings. She had already done all of them for the next week, but there was no reason she couldn't get started on the following week's readings as well. She had the time. Why not use it?

It wasn't long before there was a knock on her door. A little confused, Izumi said, "Who is it?"

"It's me," her grandfather's voice said. "May I come in?"

"Oh... Of course." Izumi put her scroll down, silently grateful her trembling had settled in the last half hour.

He walked in, smiling when he saw her. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

Izumi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, as I understand it, you're home three hours early. Also, your guard, Kanan, told me you were quite distressed when he escorted you home."

Izumi closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _Yes, Kanan, technically you didn't tell my **father**…_ "I was just feeling a bit ill. I'm fine now. There's no need for you to worry."

"Are you sure? Perhaps you should see a healer."

"No. Really. I'm fine."

"Mmm…" He seemed contemplative. "Izumi… you can tell me anything."

Which was his way of saying that he knew she was hiding something. Izumi sighed. "I know… but really, it's nothing. I just…" Her stomach churned painfully. She wrapped an arm around her middle to calm it. "I'm fine," she repeated.

"You know, keeping your problems to yourself isn't very healthy for you."

"I'm aware."

"Good." Her grandfather sat down on her bed, patting the space next to him. "Now where do you want to begin?"

Coming from anyone else - including her father - this would have been annoying. Infuriating, even. But coming from her grandfather, Izumi could only give a small smile. "Have you always been this persistent?"

He returned her smile. "In some ways, yes. Though there may have been times where I should have been a _bit_ more persistent with your father…"

Izumi sat besides him, the tension slowly returning. She knew precisely where this was going. She was going to tell him everything. Just like she always did. However, there was _one_ thing she had to make sure of. "I'll talk to you under one condition, Grandfather…" She looked him in the eyes. "You can't tell Father."

He deflated slightly. "Izumi…"

"No. If you can't promise me that, then I won't tell you anything."

Her grandfather returned her gaze and was silent for a moment before slowly nodding. "Alright, Izumi. I promise I won't tell your father."

Izumi relaxed slightly. You couldn't get better than a promise from her grandfather. However, the anxiety and burning in her veins began to rise up again as she remembered what she was about to talk about. "Grandfather…"

"Yes?"

Izumi looked at him plaintively, her vision beginning to blur as her anxiety gripped her throat. But after a few swallows, she managed to say: "Do you think I'm boring?"

He looked genuinely shocked, then slightly angry. "Of course not! Where would you ever get an idea like that?"

When one thought about it, it wasn't dissimilar from an avalanche. The deluge of words that spilled out of her seemed unending. She wasn't paying attention to her word choice or censoring _any_ part of her story. There were a few tears, which she angrily wiped away. And in the end, she might have felt a _little_ better. Though she would argue that it was marginal.

"I appreciated that Quan didn't try to insult my intelligence by explaining away his actions… Reiko and Wan's attempt to salvage their royal connection was so much worse," she said bitterly.

Her grandfather sighed. "Unfortunately, this is very common for those in the Royal Family. I am sorry you've had to have such an experience."

"I know it's common," Izumi said, wringing her hands together. "In the past, I have always been able to see through to people's intentions. After that, it was just a simple matter of cutting off any attempts at fraternization. I just can't believe I didn't notice anything for _two years_. Am I really that blind? Am I that… desperate for friends that I subconsciously turned a blind eye?"

He placed a comforting hand on her back. "You are a wonderful human being, Izumi. An intelligent and kind young woman. It's not unusual for kids your age to have difficulty making friends. Your father didn't have any friend when he was your age."

"Father had been banished and was wandering the world in search for the Avatar when he was my age."

"Yes… but that's besides the point. He eventually made friends!"

"Father joined those who had once been his enemy because of a mutual goal. It was fighting together in the war that formed those friendships."

"…I think you're missing my point…"

She raised a playful eyebrow. "Are you saying I should get Father to banish me, travel the world in search for his greatest enemy, eventually _joining_ his enemy in an attempt to dethrone him?" A small frown formed. "I wonder if it would even be _possible_ to get Father to banish me..."

Iroh made a slight choking sound before clearing his throat. "... I think your father would sooner burn the _rest_ of face off before ever banishing you."

"Maybe… Though telling him Sokka was the better swordsman might work…"

He wasn't able to contain the bark of laughter this time. "Izumi… you have a terrible sense of humor."

She smiled. "You laughed, so it couldn't have been _that_ bad."

"That isn't what I meant by terrible…"

"Well, you're _not going to tell father_, so there's no harm done."

Her grandfather nodded, his expression sobering slightly. "I will respect your wishes, Izumi. But you should know, your father would _want_ to know. He loves you more than life itself. Zuko would never think of you as a burden, because you're not. You're his daughter, and he just wants what's best for you."

Izumi sighed. She knew, deep down, that her father would be upset that she was hiding these things from him. But at the same time, she also knew that he got distracted when he worried about her, and he couldn't afford to be distracted right now. "After the commencement," she finally said. "I promise… I'll tell him once everything is finalized."

Iroh seemed pleased with her response. "Good."

In a away, it was miraculous. A hour ago, Izumi wouldn't have thought _anything_ would be able to pull her from her despondency. Reading had been a distraction, nothing more. Even then, the anxiety that had gripped her limbs and the fire that burned in her chest hadn't calmed. Now, she was still upset, but it no longer felt as though her life was falling apart.

Standing in front of him, Izumi wrapped her arms around her grandfather's shoulders. "Thank you for listening…"

He returned the hug with a gentle squeeze. "Any time, Izumi. Any time…"

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><p><strong>Criticisms of all kinds welcome as always. <strong>


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey all!**

**Best way to spend a snowstorm? _Finish the next goddamned chapter of your story!_**

**So here it is. **

**Enjoy Chapter 5!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Izumi told her father that she wouldn't be going back to the Academy for at least a few days. The reason she gave was that she wanted to spend more time with her grandfather. While this wasn't strictly a lie, the real reason was that Izumi couldn't stand the thought of being in the same classroom with her old 'friends'. She wanted to be sure she wouldn't panic or lose control at the sight of them before she resumed her classes.<p>

Her father was completely supportive of the idea, noting that it would be good for her to take a break from schoolwork. That was really _all_ he was able to say during breakfast before having to run to yet another meeting.

"Father has always been busy…" Izumi said. "But this is ridiculous…"

"It is not dissimilar to _my_ father during the war," Iroh noted. "When I was young, he was rarely even in the Fire Nation. Even when he was, he was always in one war meeting or another. If it hadn't been for all of the statues and paintings, I probably would not have recognized him until my sixteenth year when I joined the army."

Izumi turned to her grandfather, her interest piqued. She had never heard him talk about his younger days before and was eager to learn more. "I take it you weren't… close with your father?"

He shook his head. "Not at first. However, that changed once I began participating in his military campaigns. As a military man, I was… quite accomplished."

That was an understatement. From what Izumi had read, the Crown Prince Iroh had been responsible for approximately a third of the Fire Nation's gains in the Earth Kingdom, not to mention he had commanded one of the most successful sieges against Ba Sing Se. Azulon had been a ruthless war mongerer, so it was no wonder that these successes would have endeared Iroh to his father.

None of this was new to Izumi. However, she still found the idea of him as a great war general to be slightly disconcerting. Especially since there was no detectable trace of that man left in her peaceful, tea-loving grandfather.

Well, there might be the _slightest_ trace left.

"Speaking of the military…" Izumi said, "... I mentioned a couple days ago that I'm a bit behind on my bending..."

"Yes, you did," her grandfather said. "And I had said that there was no shame in it. There is more to life than being a master bender. And you are a wonderfully talented young woman in so many other ways!"

Izumi sighed. "I know you and Father are just trying to comfort me, but I don't _want_ to be comforted. I want to _improve_. I don't like how badly I bend, and I don't like making excuses for myself by saying '_well, at least I'm **good** at other things_'. And yes, while we're not at war anymore, that doesn't mean we live in peace. I was attacked in my own room and nearly _killed_ because I'm a terrible fighter!"

"That…" He paused for a moment before sighing. "...is a very good point. But while you may simply have a _desire_ to improve, you should always keep in mind that people who struggle to fight aren't _deficient_."

"But I'm not just a person; I'm the crown princess of the Fire Nation. If I'm going to rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to learn as much as I can? _Including_ bending?"

Iroh looked taken back before his expression fell. His expression gained a faraway look and seemed to almost be staring right through her, as if he was recalling some painful memory.

"Grandfather…?" Izumi said, her chest tightening slightly with worry. "Are you alright?"

He closed eyes and shook his head. "My apologies. I was just taken off guard by your… conviction."

He still seemed a little lost in memory, but Izumi didn't address it in case it was memory her grandfather didn't wish to dwell on. "Father said that he was going to help with me after the commencement. However, in the meantime, I was wondering if _you_ could help me."

To Izumi's relief, her grandfather smiled, banishing his previously haunted look. "Of course, I would be delighted to help."

They walked to the training grounds after finishing their breakfast. Some of the Imperial Firebenders were practicing in the main area, so found a smaller arena to practice privately.

"Now, I don't believe I have ever actually seen you perform katas..." her grandfather said. "... so let's start with the basics." He sat crosslegged on the ground. "How is your breathing?"

Izumi sat across from him. "Good, as far as I know. My instructors don't focus much on our breathing, so it can be difficult to gauge."

Iroh nodded. "I am not surprised. It will take more than a couple decades to cast off the ghost of Azulon, including his style of firebending." He sat up straighter. "Now, let me see how you've been doing."

Over the next several minutes, Izumi sat in silence with her eyes closed. She slowed and evened out her breathing as she focused on the heat surrounding her. Her inner flame pulsated in time with her breathes, slowly increasing in intensity as the sun's warmth seeped into her body.

It wasn't until she felt a weight on her shoulder that she pulled herself out of that mental cocoon and opened her eyes to see her grandfather smiling. "Very good," he said. "Why don't you run through a few warm-ups?"

The next couple of hours proceeded methodically. Starting from the very bottom, Iroh asked her to demonstrate each and every kata and form. However, he never at any point offered any advice or criticism. Izumi found it a bit frustrating (and a little nerve wracking), especially since she _knew_ that her katas were sloppy and that she was making consistent mistakes. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on her movements when the voice in her head was constantly berating her. With her grandfather's attentive gaze upon her, she couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed. If he had been offering advice throughout the morning, it would have broken the tension at least a _little_ bit.

Izumi eventually concluded that her grandfather was simply waiting until she had finished everything, that way he could assess her as a whole.

By the end, between the heat and the training, Izumi found herself was slumped on a bench and chugging water. After emptying the large glass, she leaned back and rested her head against the wall with a sigh. This was probably a sign that her endurance could use some improvement as well.

"You know…" Iroh said as he sat beside her, "... I don't think you are as '_behind_' as you believe you are."

Izumi frowned. "I don't follow."

"You may have only now begun the Advanced Set - which yes, this is a bit later than the average firebender - but your breath control is excellent and your rudimentary forms are flawless."

Izumi closed her eyes. "Yes, my instructors have said the same thing... which only makes this all the more _baffling_. The rudimentary forms are supposed to act as a baseline: the forms that I draw from in order to complete more complex katas. So why am I having so much difficulty when my rudimentaries are _fine_?"

"Because you are learning a much more difficult _version_ of firebending."

She raised an eyebrow. "That... doesn't make sense. I have the same instructors as everyone else," she stated.

"You may have the same instructors, but as you said earlier, they do not focus on breathing. They are still teaching Azulon's style of bending, but you grew up with your father, who knows that the traditional style of firebending isn't purely aggression and strength. It's about flow and precision…" He brought forth a flame to his hand. "... summoning your flame through your breath instead of the muscle." The flame waxed and waned rhythmically in demonstration.

Izumi mirrored him, summoning her own flame and watching it pulsate with her breathing. This was natural for her. While her father never formally taught her how to fight, he _did_ teach her about breathing and control (especially after one too many incidents at the Academy...). They would sit side by side - a candle in front of each of them - and he would coach her, teaching her to feel the flame and to calm herself though steady breathing and focus.

It's true that there was a dichotomy between how her father and how her instructors approached firebending. However, she never thought that dichotomy would effect her ability to bend. "So… you're saying I'm behind because I've been trying to learn two different types of firebending?"

"In a way, yes. Though, more specifically, I believe you are behind because you have not been taught what you are actually trying to learn."

A thick knot in Izumi's chest suddenly unraveled. She frowned as an unexpected wave of relief washed over her. Hadn't she already resigned herself to the fact that her bending was poor? While hearing that there was a reasonable explanation certainly made her happy, there wasn't a reason for her to feel so _relieved_.

Maybe she _hadn't_ been so accepting of her shortcomings. She clenched her fists against her thighs. Her recent decline of emotional control was starting to get very annoying.

"Your father actually had a similar problem," her grandfather went on. "He never quite took to Azulon's style. While he certainly had the appropriate temper, he was always more likely to adapt to his obstacles rather than push through them."

"He almost sounds like waterbender when you describe him like that." Izumi leaned forward and stared at the ground, observing the swirling patterns in the dirt. "Though you have always talked about how the four elements are more intertwined than we think they are..."

Her grandfather looked off into the distance with a small smile. "Yes… your father's lack of '_pure firebending_' attributes was why Ozai thought so poorly of him… and why he has become the powerful Fire Lord he is today."

Izumi sighed. "So what you're saying... is that I shouldn't be worrying so much about my bending."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You should respect your instructors and still do as they say, but I think you'll find that you will drastically improve once Zuko begins to guide you."

Three more weeks. Well, two weeks and three days to be precise. Either way, it was longer than Izumi was willing to wait. "But... you can help in the meantime, right?"

"I will, of course, give you any advice and guidance you ask for. But there's no _rush_, Izumi."

"I know… I just don't like doing nothing when I know I could be improving!"

He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm going to tell you what I told your father: _relax_. Don't push yourself into exhaustion while trying to reach your goal. Everything will come in its own time. And, if you're patient enough, you may learn something else along the way."

Izumi let out a small huff of amusement. "Something tells me that '_something else_' is going to be related to tea…"

Her grandfather's smile widened, an almost mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Only if you are lucky."

They conversed for the remainder of the morning until Izumi excused herself. "I hate to abandon you in the middle of the day, but the feeling of dried sweat and grit is becoming uncomfortable…"

"Do not worry about me, Izumi. You go wash up. I'll take this as an opportunity to visit the Imperial Firebenders. They expressed a keen interest in my bubble tea yesterday…"

When the servants saw Izumi approaching the baths, they all respectfully bowed and left. Normally, one of them who would set out towels and a robe while another would draw up hot water for a bath. However, after Jaya's attempted assassination, Izumi decided that she would rather do these things herself, so she had them show her where everything was and how to prepare the bath. Her first attempt was only successful in that she had been clean in the end. It had taken about twice as long as usual and was a bit… messier than it should have been. However, she eventually got the hang of it and was now nearly as proficient as the servants.

She was also slowly learning how to fix her hair in ways _other_ than the traditional top knot. Three days ago, she had finally mastered a generic braid: that is, she managed to braid her hair so that it wasn't askew or didn't have stray strands of hair poking out in all directions. Today, she was attempting to make a bun. Any bun. Any bun that could stay up for more than five minutes.

She spent more time trying to tie up that stupid bun than she did bathing.

Giving up with an exasperated sigh, she combed out the newly formed knots and let her hair hang freely. There weren't any formal events today. It would dry faster like this anyway.

After getting dressed, Izumi opened her bedroom door to find Kanan standing guard right outside. "Kanan? How long have you been there?"

"Only about ten minutes."

Izumi stepped out, closing the door behind her. "Is everything okay? Why didn't you knock?"

"Everything is fine, Princess. I've just been assigned to your permanent guard."

She raised an eyebrow. "'_Permanent guard_'? What permanent guard?"

"Under the Fire Lord's orders, you will have a guard with you at all times, even within the confines of the palace. The exceptions are private dinners, your bedroom, and the baths, though these rooms will still be guarded from the outside."

Izumi pinched the bridge of her nose with a groan. "You _must_ be kidding me…"

"I rarely kid with you, Your Highness. I know better than that."

"_Now_ my father thinks this is necessary? I would have understood if he had done this after Jaya attacked me... I still wouldn't have been _happy_ about it, but I would have _understood_. Why now?"

"Apparently there are threats on your life," Kanan said.

"There are _always_ threats on my life."

"Well, now there are more of them. And in light of the recent assassination attempt - not to mention the tensions that are rising as we approach the commencement - I imagine the Fire Lord doesn't want to take any chances."

"Ugh… Fine. _Fine_." She took a deep breath. "If this is what it takes to make Father feel better, then fine." She started walking down the hallway. "I'm going to see what Bumi and Kya are up to. I imagine they might be desperate for someone closer to their own age."

"Very well, Your Highness."

Izumi spoke to one of the servants who was tending to Bumi and Kya's room, and he told her that they were in the main gardens. On the way there, she glanced back at Kanan, who was only a couple strides behind her. "Who else is on the rotation?"

"Princess?"

"If I'm being guarded at all hours, you can't be the only one assigned to me."

"No. There are two others, Pamel and Shun."

"Pamel? She hasn't retired yet?"

Kanan chuckled. "Of course not. I imagine she'll be working until the day she dies."

"Dear Agni, I hope not. Pamel… I can't remember the last time I saw her."

"I see her every now and then. She always enjoys hearing about you. I think she still resents Yinzo for removing her as your personal guard."

Izumi was surprised to hear this. Most of her memories of Pamel consisted of the older woman _scolding_ her. She had always assumed that Pamel considered her to be a brat. Then again, she had only been five when Pamel had been reassigned, so her memories were probably a bit skewed. "I had no idea she felt so strongly about it..."

"Don't worry about it, Princess. Pamel is just happy she has the chance to serve as your guard once again."

The main gardens were massive, probably as large as the palace itself. It was split into three smaller sections, each of which had their own theme. The groundskeeper, Yu, had been given full freedom to manage and organize the gardens as he wished, and had always done a fantastic job. Right now, each section seemed to be based on each of the three other nations in anticipation for the twentieth anniversary.

Unsurprisingly, Izumi found Bumi and Kya amidst the bright blue and white flowers. Standing at the edge of a large pond, Kya was pushing the edge of the water back and forth while Bumi sat under a nearby tree and watched. "Can't you do anything more _interesting_…?"

"Mommy says this is good," Kya said proudly. "She wasn't this good when _she_ was little."

"I think Mom just said that to make you feel better…"

Kya looked up to glare at her brother when she saw Izumi and Kanan. "Izumi!" She ran up at full speed and she wrapped her arms around Izumi's middle. "Have you been busy like Dad and Zuko?"

"No, I've just been dealing with some other… _things_."

"What kinds of things?"

"Princess things." Izumi looked at the pond. "Practicing your waterbending?"

Kya nodded emphatically before running back to the pond. "Look at how good I am!"

Bumi let out a small groan, but Izumi knelt beside her and watched. Tongue sticking out and face scrunched in exaggerated concentration, Kya slowly began to manipulate the water. Once the water was steadily moving back and forth, she looked up at Izumi in excitement. "Isn't it cool!?"

"Very cool," Izumi said. "I bet you'll be throwing icicles in no time."

"I hope not," Bumi said. "She's insufferable as it is."

"You're suffuable!" Kya replied petulantly before looking back at Izumi. "How old were you when you started throwing icicles?"

"I'm a firebender, Kya."

"Oh right. How old were you when you started throwing… um… sparks?"

Izumi heard Kanan behind her stifling a giggle. "My father says I was three when I produced my first flame. I don't think I ever _threw sparks_ as you say."

"You guys want to see something _really_ cool?"

Somehow, in the last minute, Bumi had managed to climb up to nearly half of the tree's height without anyone noticing. Izumi stood, knowing full well how reckless he could be. "What are you doing?"

"You guys were being boring," he said. "I'm just spicing things up a bit."

"Bumi, you're too heavy for that tree. You're going to fall and hurt yourself."

"Jeez, you're such a wet rag. Where's your sense of fun?"

_It's not really worth the utter **boredom**._

Izumi shook off the memory. "If one of those branches breaks, you're going to end up breaking a leg or _worse_."

Bumi ignored her, and when he reached the top - nearly twenty feet off the ground - he looked across the gardens with a huge grin. "It's a great view up here!" he yelled down tauntingly. "You can practically see the whooole city! You guys should come up here and see!"

"Okay!" Kya said excitedly.

"_No_." Izumi grabbed the back of Kya's shirt.

Bumi pointed at nearby tree. "Bet you guys I can make it from here!"

Izumi gaped at the nearly fifteen foot gap. "Bumi, don't you dare. There's no way you can make that!"

"Oh yeah?" He stepped out along one of the larger branches and started to stand when the branch snapped beneath them, sending him spiraling forward.

"_BUMI_!" Kya shrieked.

Kanan leapt forward and stomped the ground. Raising his arms, a column of earth leapt from the ground and wrapped itself around Bumi's body, slowing his descent and bringing him safely to the ground.

Bumi crawled out of the layers of dirt as Izumi and Kya ran up to him. "Bumiareyouokay!?" Kya blurted out.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" he said indignantly.

"What on earth were you thinking!?" Izumi rebuked. "Even if you hadn't fallen, it was stupid for you to even _attempt_ that jump!"

"I would have been fine," Bumi insisted. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm not a bender!"

Izumi blinked, taken aback by the defensiveness. "This has nothing to do with being a bender and _everything_ to do with you doing something incredibly stupid! You're a smart kid; you _knew_ there was no way you could make it!"

He gave a disparaging shrug. "Maybe I'm just stupider than you think I am."

She shook her head in disbelief. Why on earth was Bumi acting this way? He was a reckless child to be sure, but he was acting so much more… flippant. "Why are you dismissing this? You could have _died_ and you're acting as though nothing happened!"

"What? You mean like _you_?"

Izumi froze. "What are you talking about?"

"When we first got here," Bumi said. "Zuko said someone attacked you. Which I know is code for _assassination_. But you brushed it all off, acted as if it was nothing."

That wasn't true. Izumi had known full well how serious the assassination attempt had been. At that time, she had just been trying to reassure her father that she was fine.

By minimizing the magnitude of the attack.

"That's not the same…" she said quietly.

Bumi scoffed. "You're a terrible liar." He grabbed Kya's hand. "C'mon Kya. You can practice waterbending in our room."

Izumi watched them leave, feeling a bit dumbfounded. She wanted to say something, have the last word, but couldn't think of anything to say. Especially when Bumi's point was entirely valid.

Kanan kicked the large mound of dirt and torn up grass. "Yu is going to kill me…"

"Thank Agni you saved him though." Izumi shook her head. "What was he _thinking_?"

Kanan shrugged with a tired sigh. "Bumi's a kid. It's completely normal for boys his age to act recklessly. It's nothing to worry about."

"I suppose so..." Though the distinct feeling of _wrongness_ still hadn't left her. n combination with the bitter stab of hypocrisy stemming from Bumi's observation, Izumi couldn't help but think: _What on earth just **happened**?_

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><p><strong>Criticisms of all kinds welcome as always. <strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey all!**

**Hopefully this chapter isn't too boring. It _does_ have some fluff at the end. :)**

**Enjoy Chapter 6!**

* * *

><p>Izumi practiced the new forms from the Advanced Set her instructors had showed her and her peers before she stopped going to the Academy. While it pained her to do so, she followed her grandfather's advice and continued to respect her instructors' directions and practice what they had taught her. She <em>wanted<em> to be practicing the original firebending style, but with her father unavailable and her grandfather's tendency to tire easily, she currently had very little guidance to work with.

That was one thing Izumi had not anticipated about her grandfather's visit: his nearly daily need to rest privately. It shouldn't have been surprising. At nearly ninety years old, he wasn't young by any definition. His body's energy and stamina were bound to decrease over time, despite his incredible health. Even so, Izumi was still unsettled by the mere idea of her grandfather aging and and approaching death (even a peaceful one). She struggled even fathom life without him. And imagining the effect his death would have on her father made her feel ill.

While she was a strong proponent of thinking through events and scenarios in advance, this was one event she would _not_ analyze. She understood that contemplating it ahead of time wouldn't make the event itself any less traumatic and it would only cause undue stress in the meantime. So, she ignored it.

Pamel was patrolling along the edge of the training arena, a watchful eye on Izumi and on every potential point of entry. She was as stern and stalwart as Izumi remembered. She greeted Izumi as appropriate, responded to her questions with a brutal sort of honesty, and scolded her when she thoroughly deserved it. Though Pamel had yet to scold her since she began to work as part of Izumi's permanent guard.

While she wasn't much for small talk or casual conversation, Izumi found her presence to be oddly comforting. She found this perplexing at first, especially since she hadn't seen Pamel in several years. However, Izumi eventually concluded that it basically came down to familiarity. Besides her father, Izumi had probably spent most of her early years with Pamel. So while little five year old Izumi had disliked Pamel more than all of the other servants, she had eventually come to trust Pamel's frankness.

Izumi slowly breathed in, focusing on every inch of movement. Her annoyance was increasing as she struggled to get her body to move the way it was _supposed_ to. Concentrating on the fundamentals, she tried to apply them, keeping her breath slow and even. It was about breathing, about control. The idea of firebending being about pure power that could break through any defense is a notion from the war. The original style of firebending was about fluidity and cunning in addition to power. _Focus, Izumi… Focus on what you know to be right._

Her knee twisted and she stumbled out of the kata. With a growl of frustration, Izumi stood back up and kicked the dirt. "I don't understand," she muttered to herself. "What am I missing? What magical form or philosophy is Father going to teach me that will make me _better_ than this?"

"Princess? Are you alright?"

Izumi closed her eyes with a sigh, getting tired of people asking her this question. "I'm fine, Pamel." She straightened and thrust her arms in front of her, starting from the beginning of the kata.

Half an hour later, the distant sound of beating wings made her pause in her practice. Noticing that it seemed to be approaching, Izumi went to the far side of the arena and looked up to the sky and saw exactly whom she expected: Druk.

Swiveling to the side, he landed in the middle of the arena with a small poof of dirt and dust. Then he walked up to Izumi before laying on the ground with small rumble.

"Is… is it alright…?" Pamel asked.

"He's fine," Izumi said, kneeling in front of Druk's head. "I think he's just realized that he's too big to fit in the negotiation rooms." She scratched his mane, eliciting a low purr. "Well, I'm glad I can be of service as your backup human."

Druk gave her a sharp look before closing his eyes and leaning into her ministrations.

"Dear Agni…" Pamel muttered. "I think he understood you."

"Of course he understood me. He's not just some dumb animal. Dragons are incredibly intelligent." Izumi turned to Pamel, who was standing stiff about ten feet away. Her eyes were glued on Druk with a mixture of fear and awe. "You can come closer. He won't hurt you."

"Beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I am not of royal blood like you."

"Royal blood? Druk doesn't care about royalty. In fact, I doubt he can tell the difference..."

"Of course he can," Pamel said with confidence. "Druk chose Fire Lord Zuko as his companion because he could sense that the Fire Lord was spirit-blessed, as all members of the royal family are."

Pamel was nearly eighty, which meant that most of her life had been during the Hundred Year War. A large part of the propaganda during the war was to convince the populace that Sozin and his descendants had a divine right to rule. It was said that the war was to help spread and share the blessing of the spirits to the rest of the world. However, these beliefs quickly boiled away after the end of the war as the entire nation had to struggle with the bitter aftermath. After twenty years, Pamel was probably one of the few people left who still thought of Sozin's line as divine.

"Druk didn't chose my father because he was royalty," Izumi said. "Father and Druk bonded when Father touched his egg years ago. I'm not certain how it all works since many scrolls on the subject were destroyed, but I think Father and Druk were just… compatible."

"Yes," Pamel said. "Druk is dragon: an original firebender with inherent spiritual nature. The Fire Lord is the supreme firebender chosen by spirits to rule. These are why they're compatible."

This was becoming uncomfortable. "Druk chose my father because of the _type_ person he. He would have chosen my father even if he had been a peasant."

"Perhaps. But he is not. He is the Fire Lord."

Izumi sighed. "I think you're reading too much into this coincidence."

Pamel smiled. "You see coincidence, Princess. I see divinity."

Izumi just returned a hesitant smile, wanting to end the conversation. Hearing her family referred to as divine was… unsettling. Especially in regards to herself. At least her grandfather and father actually _had_ done amazing things. Grandfather had taken back Ba Sing Se with only a few others from the Fire Nation during Sozin's Comet, and her father had conceived and pushed for the creation of the United Republic of Nations. From these accomplishments, she could see why people might praise them, even to the point of calling them blessed. She, on the other hand, had accomplished _nothing_.

Walking back to the center of the arena, Izumi closed her eyes and regained completely control over her breathing before resuming. However, this became considerably more difficult when Druk came up to her mid-kata. Ignoring the fact that he had encircled her three times over, he was nudging her body affectionately. While frankly adorable in its own strange way, it was also incredibly distracting to say the least. "Honestly, Druk…" Izumi finally said, "I'm _trying_ to practice."

Druk huffed and nudged her elbow again, more insistent than affectionate this time. Unwinding so Izumi had more space, he continued to rub his head underneath both of her arms and push them up.

Perplexed by this new behaviour, Izumi abandoned her kata and placed her hands on Druk's head to stop him. "What are you trying to _do_?"

He shook her hands off and stepped back without looking away from her. Then, with a short, declarative cry, Druk launched into the air with a strong beat of his wings. He circled the arena a few times before swooping down and flying in an oscillating pattern along the ground.

Shielding her eyes from the swirling dirt, Izumi watched as Druk maneuvered around her, moving up and down, sometimes taking a sharp turn up or to the side and looping through the air...

_"They looped and twisted around us," her father said, a hint of awe audible in his voice. "Aang was the one who figured out that they were doing their version of the Dancing Dragon."_

A nervous chuckle bubbled out of her, a smile forming on her face. Druk was five years old - the dragon equivalent of a preadolescence - and he instinctively knew the natural firebending forms.

He was trying to teach her.

She already knew the Dancing Dragon, having demanded her father to teach it to her when she had been four or five. Her smile widening, she raised her arms and left leg and started the form, moving fluidly with Druk.

It was thirty seconds; for thirty exhilarating seconds, they were in sync. She didn't even have to think as she moved. There was only the warm air sweeping around, making her breathless, and not even the hair in her eyes could dampen that sensation.

She had no partner, so it ended with her punching the air. But Druk quickly landed and met her on the ground, looking at her in question and his snout lightly brushing her neck.

Izumi let out a small giggle, scratching under his chin and leaning against his nose. "Thanks, Druk. I appreciate it."

The rest of her practice was lighter than it had been in months. She didn't think about how terribly she was bending or how she was doing it wrong… she simply enjoyed it.

Once she was done, she gave Druk one last scratch behind the mane. "I'm going to wash up now before dinner. Why don't you try to find Bumi and Kya? They'd probably like playing with you."

With a final rumble, Druk looked up into the sky and prepared to take off. Izumi quickly stepped back (having had enough dirt blown into her clothes for the day) just as he leapt up from the ground.

As she was preparing to leave, Izumi noticed that Pamel was smiling at her. "What is it?" she asked with a small frown.

"You honestly have no idea how fortunate you are," Pamel replied.

How fortunate she was? This seemed to come from nowhere. Pamel might have been referring to her proximity to one of the last of the dragons or to her social standing. "My father is incredibly lucky to have Druk," she said slowly, trying to gauge Pamel's reactions and figure out what she might have been referring to. "And I understand that it's incredible that I've gotten to grow up with a dragon. I also understand that I have amenities that most people could only _imagine_. I live a comfortable life, with no worries like hunger and shelter; I have luxuries like fine clothes and jewelry; I have access to some of the best education in the world; and I have a family who loves me."

Pamel's smile persisted. Apparently Izumi had missed the point she was trying to make. "You understand," Pamel said, "... but you can't possibly comprehend."

What was it with the elderly and their need to be cryptic? Izumi wondered if her grandfather's generation enjoyed being subtle or if everyone became just unbearably philosophical once they passed eighty. "Well... I'm going to take a bath," Izumi said.

Pamel bowed slightly. "Very well, Princess."

From the training arenas to the baths, Izumi usually took a route that passed the Communications Room. It was a room with five telephones: one for each Ba Sing Se, the Northern and Southern Water Tribe, Air Temple Island, and the new Republic City. They were a new invention that Sokka helped design. They allowed for immediate long distance communication. With a line to each major center of the world, it made large scale organization much easier.

Her father only wanted the Communications Room for emergencies or when some finer points in the negotiations needed to be clarified or brushed up quickly, so it was almost always vacant. However, today as they walked down the hallway towards it, Izumi saw that the door was open and could hear someone talking inside.

"... you implying?"

A pause.

"Of course I care, I just - !"

Another pause.

"Katara, _stop_ it! You're being unreasonable!"

Izumi's heart skipped a beat. _Aang?_ She slowed in her steps, not to eavesdrop of course. Eavesdropping hasn't done her any good recently. Not to mention it would be incredibly rude of her to listen to what is clearly a private conversation. But the uncharacteristic anger and annoyance in Aang's voice compelled her to walk just a bit slower so that she could gain more context and formulate a reasonable explanation.

"You said yourself it would be better if you stayed home! ... Well, how was I supposed to know that? I'm not a mindreader!"

A long bout of silence followed where Katara was no doubt giving her heartfelt response.

"... That's not true, Katara. I'm not that shallow."

Even with her slow pace, Izumi was almost out of ear range at this point. She refused to stop and listen more, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. It wasn't any of her business. Aang and Katara's relationship had nothing to do with her, and it was inappropriate for her to get involved in any way.

She pressed a hand to her chest where there was an uncomfortable pressure. Even if it wasn't any of her concern, she still couldn't help but wonder what they were fighting about.

"You shouldn't worry about the Avatar and his wife," Pamel said. "Couples fight; it's normal."

"Fight like _that_?" Izumi asked.

"Sometimes. You didn't grow up with two parents so this probably doesn't seem normal to you, which is why you're so upset."

Of course she was upset. Aang and Katara always seemed like they were perfect for each other. "I've just never seen them argue before…"

"All of that lovey-dovey stuff you usually see from people is usually an act on some level," Pamel said. "That doesn't mean they don't have problems in their private lives. Almost all couples do."

Izumi nodded slowly. She trusted Pamel's judgement, and if she said this wasn't something to worry about, then Izumi would try not to worry. After all, Izumi lived in such unusual circumstances. Her perception of what was a _normal_ family life was probably quite skewed. Besides, she couldn't draw any solid conclusions from hearing a single minute of a one-sided conversation. It was out of context, outside of her understanding, and none of her business.

However, that didn't mean she wasn't still troubled. And something told her this feeling was going to linger for much longer than she would like.

* * *

><p>That evening, there was a relatively small but late dinner in the main hall. The attendees were just Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang, King Kuei and their families (except Iroh who had to retire earlier). As had been rumoured, the woman Kuei brought with him was his fiance, Lang Hui. She was fairly reclusive, no one having really seen her outside of formal events. However, she seemed nice enough from what Izumi could tell.<p>

All seven people sat comfortably around a circular table. It began with an exciting announcement: they were nearly complete with the negotiations. All they had left was to send copies to the current heads of the Earth Kingdom provinces that were to be converted and get their official approval.

"We should celebrate!" Kuei said. "Let's go into the city tomorrow and explore the markets!"

"I don't think that's a very good idea…" Zuko said. "Three heads of state with their families all in one very public place is a recipe for disaster."

"We can clear the area," Kuei said. "Your people working with my people should be more than enough to secure the area ahead of time."

Zuko shook his head. "We would basically have to cut off the citizens from the market for an entire day. It's not worth it for just a few hours of fun."

Kuei sighed. "I suppose you're right… But what _should_ we do?"

"There's plenty we can do in the palace," Aang said. "It's about spending time with our families, which we haven't been able to do since we got here. It'll be fun for all of us to do something together, even if we stay in the palace."

Izumi saw her father nod in agreement, but with his eyes downcast - highlighted by his dark bags - she could tell that he was less enthusiastic about the prospect of everyone spending time together. His idea of relaxation was isolation, not socialization.

"Yes… maybe a concert of some sort," Kuei said. "Or a play!"

"It would be difficult to organize such a thing last minute," Zuko said tiredly.

"That's true… What can we do...?"

"I think a concert is a great idea," Izumi said. "We have another two weeks until the commencement. Why don't we relax the next few days while we organize something. We can all officially celebrate next week when Councilman Sokka and the other leaders arrive."

"Sounds good," Aang said. "Maybe Katara will feel well enough to come out…"

Izumi glanced at him for a moment, thinking of the fight she had overheard. _Stop it. You're being nosy._

"Toph Beifong should come as well!" Kuei said. He turned to Lang Hui. "I think you'll like Toph. She's a no-nonsense type of woman like you."

"Hmm… I've heard," Lang Hui said. "Though I've also heard that she's all but rejected her noble birthright."

Kuei shrugged. "She's free of spirit to be sure."

"Toph is awesome," Bumi piped up. "She's not boring or pushy; she lets you do whatever you want short of getting yourself killed!"

"Yes, and then refuses to tell your _parents_ why their children are covered in every conceivable type of mud imaginable…" Aang said dryly.

Lang Hui smiled. "She sounds more like a grandparent than a family friend…"

Kya shook her head. "Aunt Toph is nothing like Grandpa," she said matter-of-factly, her body jerking to and fro as she swung her legs back and forth under her chair. "Grandpa gets grumpy when we're bad. And he tells Mommy and Daddy. Grandpa also gives us candy and snacks. Toph doesn't really…"

Lang Hui let out a small scoff. "Sounds like an appalling woman," she murmured under her breath. "It'll be interesting to see what kind of _mother_ she'll be…"

The others didn't seem to hear; the table breaking down into smaller conversations. However, Izumi was sitting right next to her, and didn't like the tone Lang Hui was using. She had neither met Toph nor had any children of her own. What right did she have to _judge_ Toph? "A better mother than _you_ will be…" she murmured equally as quiet.

No one else reacted except Lang Hui, whose body had stiffened. Izumi smiled, glad that she knew that her untasteful comment had been heard.

But then her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "_Izumi_..." he warned quietly. When she turned to him, he gave the slightest shake of the head.

Izumi quickly mouthed '_sorry_' before looking down, her stomach clenching at the sight of her father's look of reproach. She turned to apologize to Lang Hui, but she was engaged with a conversation with Kuei and Kya who was animatedly talking about her grandfather, Chief Hakoda. So Izumi turned back to her plate, her face burning in shame as she poked at her food.

The dinner continued without incident or particularly interesting points of conversation. Once the initial spike of embarrassment at her own immaturity had dulled, she listened to her father and Aang who were casually discussing what sort of concert or performance to organize for the following week. But with the sting of her father's admonishment still present, she decided to keep her mouth mostly shut for the rest of the meal.

In the end, each family retired to their respective bedrooms. When they were nearly back to their rooms, Izumi placed a hand on her father's arm to, her eyes focused on his feet. "I wanted to apologize for earlier… I know I was out of line."

"You were," her father said, "But I understand why you felt the urge to respond the way you did. I also heard what she said."

Izumi sighed. "Nothing bothers me more than people making unfounded insults. When people call our family war mongers, at least it's based on some facts. Lang Hui had no reason or cause to insult Toph like that." She took a deep breath. "But that doesn't excuse my behaviour."

She saw her father turn around and felt his warm hands on her shoulders. "Izumi, look at me."

When she complied, she was mildly surprised to see that he was smiling warmly. "I'm not _mad_ at you. Like I said, I completely understand your reaction. I used to say a lot of impulsive and not-so-friendly things when I was your age. Heck, even when I was older. What I eventually learned was that you _can't_ be impulsive in politics. Every word you say can be used against you, no matter how much you may have been joking or even well-meant. You need to be aware that even the smallest of insults can end with _very_ bad consequences." He squeezed her shoulders. "It's better that you make mistakes _now_ and learn from them. You don't want to be making these mistakes once you become the Fire Lord."

Izumi nodded. "You're right. Though I still feel a little bad..."

Zuko hesitated for a moment. "Don't feel bad… She kind of deserved it. I just want you to know that you can't really get away with insulting important guests once you're Fire Lord, even if they _do_ deserve it."

"Well, that won't be for a long while, so that gives me plenty of time to learn."

His smile widened. "Yes, it does." He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "I love you. Now go to bed and get some rest."

"I love you too. And _you_ get some rest. _You're_ the one who's been working non-stop for months..."

Her father chuckled. "'Night, Izumi."

"Good night, Father."

* * *

><p><strong>Criticisms of all kinds welcome as always. <strong>


End file.
